66 .MR.W. OSBURN ON THE BATS OF JAMAICA. ([Jan. 24, 
swarm of ants were busy carrying off piecemeal a young sucking Bat 
which had fallen.” 
“ Johnston Pen, Trelawny, 4th June, 1859. 
“This Artibeus inhabits in great numbers these extensive caves, 
once used as sugarworks. I did not thoroughly explore them, as my 
ammunition fell short. It is also to be found in great numbers in 
the western cave of the adjoining estate, Harmony Hall. It hasa 
loud, harsh screech, constantly heard, when in captivity, towards 
evening, and during the day when at liberty and it is disturbed in 
its gloomy abode. It seems a kind of alarm ; for it is repeated every 
now and then, only by single individuals, and is accompanied by a 
general flapping of scores of leathery wings. 
“ Aquatta Vale (Metcalfe), 11th November, 1859. 
«‘This Bat (so common in the caves of St. James and Trelawny), 
I had always noticed, particularly haunted the entrances of caves, 
or caves of small depth, though often,*as at Mahogany Hall, those 
where the light was wholly excluded. Its habits, however, in this 
respect are very curiously affected by the geological formation of the 
country it inhabits. In Metcalfe the transition shale, of course, 
never forms caves; and the strip of limestone along the sea-board is 
too marly, so far as I know it. A total change therefore takes place 
in the habits of the Bat. I found them at Aquatta Vale clustering 
under the fronds of the cocoa-nut palm, so thickly and in such num- 
bers that at a single shot I brought down twenty-two, while many flew 
off and took refuge in the neighbouring trees. Their food seems 
principally the pulp of the young jelly cocoa-nuts, as they are called. 
I was shown one or two in which a large hole had been nibbled 
through the still soft husk, large enough to admit the body of the 
Bat. The question arises, whether this might not have been by the 
rats, as I have no proof; but I am at present inclined to attribute it 
to the Bat, as the trees were very lofty (60 or 70 feet high), and I never 
heard of rats being detected among the fruit. The hole, I observed, 
was nibbled next to the foot-stalk ; so that doubtless the Bat rested 
on the fruit whilst perforating it. This would confirm my previous 
remarks, that these animals do not even principally feed whilst fly- 
ing, but reclining in some position. The stomachs of several I exa- 
mined were bilobed and internally reticulated by folds, but perfectly 
empty. The large intestine contained a yellow juice, among which 
many small seeds passed out at the anus on pressure, and which I 
suspect were those of the Fustic (Morus tinctoria). 
‘(Since writing the above, I learn that rats are very frequently 
seen up the cocoa-nuts. I am inclined to think, therefore, that these 
nibbled the holes, and not this Bat, whose incisors are so manifestly 
ill adapted for gnawing through 3 or 4 inches of round soft husk. |” 
“ Dover (Metcalfe), 29th November, 1859, 
** The above doubt is pretty nearly dissolved by a fact mentioned 
to me by. Mr. Prosser, an engineer at present employed on the 
