as gossamer is the membrane which serves them instead of wings, 

 ana except by examination we could hardly believe it consists of 

 two layers, one stretched over the fore limbs and a second extending 

 from the sides of the body and hind legs. Unreal for an animal 

 appear the long-fingered hands which support their framework, 

 spreading it at their pleasure and folding it down about the body 

 like a garment during their daytime naps. 



So apparently supernatural is the ability to avoid all obstacles in 

 their swift darting motion that the naturalist has suspected them 

 of possessing some sort of a sixth sense. Finally, for the purpose of 

 study, one unfortunate specimen was totally deprived of its vision, 

 but the result was not as disastrous as might have been expected, as 

 after a short time, it easily resumed its quick and safe course. By 

 similar experiments it has been proved that this wonderfully dis- 

 criminating choice of direction is due, in a large measure, to pecu- 

 liarly sensitive nerves in the delicate membranes, as well as in the 



220 



