244 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
In Sussex Mr. William Jeffery has observed a great increase 
in the number of Noctules in August, and supposes that they are 
moving southwards then. 
Mr. A. J. Clark-Kennedy, on May 23rd, 1874, about 5 p.m., 
saw a flight of twenty-seven large Bats, flying steadily in a north- 
easterly direction, at Little Glenham, Suffolk.* 
That Bats are able to find their way back to their old haunts, 
just as Swallows and Martins have been proved to do, has been 
shown by Mr. Gyles, of Kilmurry House, Waterford, who by way 
of experiment captured several Pipistrelles alive, on an island in 
the River Suir, and, carrying them to a distance, liberated them 
separately on the mainland. Each of them, after making one or 
two circuits in the air, went off in a direct line for its home, 
notwithstanding there was a bright sun shining at the time, and 
a strong wind blowing against them.t 
On these points (migration, and homing instinct in Bats) 
there is room for much interesting experiment, and it would not 
be difficult to catch and mark Bats, just as Swallows and Martins 
have been marked, by fastening lightly round one of the hind feet 
a thin bit of silver wire, before restoring it to liberty. On 
discovering the haunt of a colony a number might be caught and 
marked, and carried some miles away. It would be easy to re- 
visit the place and ascertain whether any of those marked had 
returned ; and under favourable circumstances this might be 
done without disturbing them much, for the silver wire being 
fastened to the hind feet, it would be readily seen, as the Bats 
hang suspended head downwards. 
Another point of interest, upon which it would be desirable to 
have more information, is the precise nature of their food. We 
know that, in this country at least, Bats are exclusively 
insectivorous. But on what particular insects do they chiefly 
prey? With the Noctule the little hairy cockchaffer, Amphi- 
malla solstitialis, is said to be a favourite food. Mr. D’Urban 
has observed that in Devonshire the Pipistrelle comes out in 
March, about the time the spring Noctuide appear at the catkins 
of the sallows, and that it picks these moths off the blossoms as 
it flies past. Mr. Bond has seen the Serotine taking moths off 

* ¢ Zoologist,’ 1874, p. 4075. 
t Note on “ Homing Instinct in Bats,” ‘ Zoologist,’ 1883, p. 173. 
