At Home with : Wild Nature 



hearing is the ability, or non-ability, to detect the swish 

 of a bat's wings. I should say that the animal would 

 need to fly very close to the keenest of human ears 

 before the sound of its membranous wings cutting 

 through the air became audible. Of course, the creature 

 produces an incisive twittering call note expressive of 

 its emotions, but this is of vocal origin and more or less 

 easily detected. 



Some years ago I was greatly puzzled by hearing a 

 weirdly, uncanny sound made by a pipistrelle bat when- 

 ever it flew near my head at the corner of a little oak 

 wood. Night after night I visited the place in order to 

 watch and listen, and, if possible, solve the mystery. At 

 last I discovered to my amusement that the sound was 

 produced by air rushing through a small hole, prob- 

 ably made by a corn of shot, in one of the animal's 

 wings. 



Mice, and especially the twittering shrews, may 

 always be heard lifting up their shrill voices during fine 

 summer evenings. 



The heartrending cry of a hare in distress is one of 

 the most appalling sounds I have ever heard ring out 

 on the quiet night air. Its helpless baby-like poignancy 

 is calculated to fill the most callous human soul with 

 pity. 



Rabbits frequently give tongue through the hours of 

 darkness. This is sometimes the result of being 

 vanquished in a fight, and at others through fear when 

 seized by an enemy or caught in a snare. 



Whilst taking a bee-line across country one dark 



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