HABITS OF BATS. 35 



it is sure to "take bad ways." I think the 

 reason of this is because the Drain Eat, when 

 it cannot get anything else to eat, exists on 

 the worms and slugs, and this, I think, causes 

 the teeth to become more venomous. When 

 bitten in this way blood poisoning is very 

 likely to ensue. Indeed, you must understand 

 that the teeth of a full-grown Eat are quite 

 half-an-inch long, and the jaw is very strong, 

 so that if you are bitten on the finger it is 

 almost sure to penetrate to the bone. I have 

 known a good many cases of blood poisoning 

 through Eat-bites. 



The damage Eats can do to property, com- 

 modities, &c., is almost incredible. I have 

 had so many examples of this that I scarcely 

 know which to submit as illustration. I think 

 the worst case I have seen was where they 

 gnawed a hole half way through a 2 J inch lead 

 pipe, and often I have known them to bite 

 through a one-inch lead pipe. The worst 

 damage is done when they get under the flag 

 floors of cottage houses out of the drains. 

 They scratch the soil from beneath the flags, 

 which then sink, and the consequent stench 

 from the drains is abominable, jeopardising 

 the health of the tenants. I have seen a 

 great many of these cases in the poorer parts 

 of Manchester. The damage the Eats will do 



