86 BIRD HAUNTS AND NATURE MEMORIES 



When the box was opened in the daytime or early in the 

 evening the bats were comatose, and it took time to 

 awaken them; but later, if left to themselves, they roused 

 and became lively. If neglected during this wakeful 

 period, usually less than an hour, they relapsed into 

 4 lethargy, and later had to be roused for food; and indeed 

 the normal diurnal sleep of bats seems as profound as the 

 winter slumber which we call hibernation. Alcock found 

 that the breathing became shallow and irregular 

 " Cheyne-Stokes'/' he calls it and that the temperature 

 rises as much as 31 in fifteen minutes, and it often took 

 that time to induce full activity. I would take a bat in 

 my hand to warm it, and in a few minutes its breathing 

 became rapid, the whole animal panting and shuddering 

 as if in fear; it pumped itself awake. When really roused 

 its whole being changed; its body felt hot, its eyes gleamed, 

 its sensitive ears were in constant motion. Raising itself 

 on the carpal joint it would patter towards me, and if I 

 kept it waiting would climb my arm, snuggle for a few 

 seconds at the back of my neck, and then take wing for 

 its evening exercise. As a rule, however, they were in no 

 hurry for flight, but after a good feed and a long drink 

 for they are thirsty creatures they liked a short flight 

 round the room. They would lap water from a saucer 

 or suck it from the end of a camel's-hair brush. Raw 

 meat they took if shredded fine, and bits of fish were also 

 appreciated, but they required teaching before they 

 tackled these unusual viands; what is more, they found 

 them more difficult to masticate than the horny skins of 

 beetles and mealworms. 



Mealworms, small moths, bluebottles, and some beetles 

 are tackled and eaten without difficulty, but a dor or a 

 chafer had to be overcome, and large noctuid moths were 

 the most difficult captives. When the bat is walking 

 or at rest the tail is carried in a curve, the tip often under 



