122 



THE LONG-EARED BAT. 



HEAD OF LONG-EARED BAT. 



The enormous ears, from which the animal derives its name, are most beautiful 

 organs. Their texture is exquisitely delicate, and the bat has the power of throwing 

 them into graceful folds at every movement, thereby giving to its countenance a vast 

 amount of expression. The figure on p. 121, exhibits the animal as it appears on the 

 wing, and with its ears fully extended. But the present engraving shows the head of 

 this bat, as it appears while the ears are disposed in slight folds and gently curved. 

 It sometimes happens that the Long-eared Bat has lived long in captivity, and even 



produced and nurtured its young under such conditions. 

 For the following very interesting account of a maternal 

 bat, I am indebted to the kindness of Mrs. S. C. Hall. 



" While living in an old rambling country-house in 

 Ireland, without any companions of my own age, an only 

 solitary child left (after my ' lessons ' were finished) to 

 create my own amusements I made friends, of course 

 with our own dogs and horses ; and as all the servants 

 loved ' little Miss,' and anxiously ministered to her desires, 

 I became well acquainted with the habits and peculiarities 

 of the wild creatures in our own grounds and neighbor- 

 hood. We were within a mile of the sea, and there was a 

 beautiful walk from the dear old house, on to the cliff that sheltered our bathing cove 

 which I have traversed, accompanied by our Newfoundland dog, the old retriever 

 spaniels, and a fine deerhound, at nearly all hours of the day and night. 



" A lovely ivy-covered cottage near the orchard, which, before I was born, was 

 occupied by an old gardener, was at last given over to my menagerie, as the only way 

 of keeping the ' big house ' free from * Miss Mary's pets.' My ' help ' was a strong- 

 bodied girl, one of the * weeders,' who had the rare merit of not being afraid of anything 

 ' barring a bull ; ' and she always intimated if I made a pet of a bull, she would ' wash 

 her hands clean out of the menageeree for ever Amin ! ' 



" As I never did, poor Sally remained my assistant until the death of my dear grand- 

 mother broke up the establishment ; and I came to England in the first blush of girl- 

 hood, to be civilized and educated, and made * like other young ladies.' 



" But those years were precious years to me ; I grew, and fostered in those wild hours 

 an acquaintance with, and a love of Nature, which has refreshed my life with greenest 

 memories. My dear young mother knew every bud and blossom of the parterre and the 

 field, and though she disliked my seal, and obliged my young badger to be sent away 

 (I was not very sorry for him, he bit so furiously and would not be friends with the 

 dogs, which the seal was), yet she tolerated my owl, my kites, and even a most pros- 

 perous colony of mice of many colors, and a black rat who was really an affection- 

 ate companion. My hare I was permitted to keep at the house, for he would hold no 

 friendship with rabbits. 



" Song birds I never attempted to cage, but robins and pigeons followed me (accord- 

 ing to Sally), ' like their born mother.' 



" The gable end of an old stable was covered by one of the finest myrtles I ever 

 saw : it was twenty-two feet high and seventeen wide, and standing out here and there 

 from the wall. Swallows and bats loved to shelter in the holes of the old building. I 

 was just a small bit afraid of the leather-winged bat ; ' my nurse often told me how they 

 sucked cows, and even scratched out children's eyes. 



" But one cold spring morning I saw a body tossing into the air and catching again 

 what I fancied to be a large mouse : of course, my sympathy awoke at once, and I rushed 

 to the rescue ; it proved to be a half-dead bat, very large and fat, its beautiful broad 

 ears were still erect, and when I took it in my hands I felt its heart beat. I placed it 

 in a basket, covered it with cotton, and put it inside the high nursery fender. I peeped 

 frequently under the lid, and at last had the pleasure of seeing it hanging bat-fashion 

 on the side of the basket, its keen bright eyes watching every movement. When it was 

 fully restored, I endeavored to take it out, and then discovered that one of its hind feet 

 had been crushed, and was hanging by a bit of skin. With trembling hands I removed 

 the little foot, and applied some salve to the extremity. 



