162 PHCENIX PARK. 



beetle, but she would not eat : she would seize and 

 bite them spitefully, but presently dropped them. 

 She would not drink when held in the hand, and the 

 muzzle presented to water ; but if it were allowed to 

 fall in drops upon her face, she would suck them in 

 with a motion of chewing, with apparent satisfaction. 

 There was much of mastiff-manners, as well as 

 physiognomy, in her ; she often bared her teeth by 

 contracting the sides of the lips, and watched with 

 open mouth to seize any object presented, which she 

 then held with surprising force and pertinacity. 



I incline to think that some Bats at least are cre- 

 puscular, and not nocturnal. The family assured me 

 that after these Mastiff-bats had emerged a few 

 hours, they invariably returned into the hole again ; 

 aud they several times directed my attention to them 

 when returning. On looking out, I indeed saw that 

 they were flying up towards the hole in the eaves, 

 but, on account of the darkness, I could not be 

 sure whether they entered. One moonlit evening, 

 however, looking through the window, between eight 

 and nine o'clock, I distinctly saw one, after flying up 

 and hovering a minute or two, and then coursing 

 round again, twice or thrice in succession, — I dis- 

 tinctly saw it enter the hole, whence it emerged no 

 more, at least while I continued to look at it. I 

 asked Sam's opinion, without intimating to him what 

 I thought. He without hesitation affirmed that they 

 do not fly all night, stating that when he had been 

 abroad through the whole night, grinding cane,"as was 

 often the case, he had noticed Bats numerous a little 

 after the evening, and again a little before the 



