Wliiltikcr : T/ie Dcvt'lopnwii/ a/ //w Senses in liti/s. i47 



All these thing's point to the conclusion that a bat's sense of 

 hearinj^ is adapted to sounds of a much higher pitch than our 

 own and than that of most animals. Probably bats can plainly 

 hear, and locate with precision, many sounds which, on account 

 of their hig-h pitch, we either could i*ot detect at all, or could 

 do so only in such an imperfect way as to be afforded no clue as 

 to the direction from whence the sound came. COn the other 

 hand, it is probable that a low-pitched sound, even though of 

 great volume, may be outside the scope of a bat's hearing, and 

 the sound of thunder be less obtrusive to it than the high note 

 of a violin string. 



Now, as all senses are so developed as to be of the greatest 

 possible use to their possessor, it follows that the sounds which 

 it is most important for a bat to hear are ones of very high pitch 

 indeed, and it is not improbable that its hearing may assist it in 

 search of food, and the sound produced by the most minute 

 gnats and other insects be plainly audible to it. 



In matters of iasle the bat is somewhat of an epicure, and 

 holds decided likes and dislikes with regard to its food, for not 

 only is one kind of food preferred to another, but different 

 indi\ iduals show different fancies, and whilst one bat in captivity 

 will feed readily on raw beef, another specimen of the same 

 species cannot be induced to touch it. 



All our British bats of which I have any knowledge show a 

 g-reat weakness for mealworms, the larva of the common Meal 

 Beetle {Tenebrio molitor), and will go on eating these, evidently 

 because they like the taste so much, after they have so far 

 satisfied their hunger that other ordinary welcome food would 

 be rejected. This is the more remarkable, as mealworms are 

 certainly not a food procurable by bats in a natural state. 

 Insectivorous birds share the same weakness, as all bird-fanciers 

 know, so that there appears to be a strong concensus of opinion 

 that mealworms are par excellence as an article of diet — " tie 

 gustabtis noil dispiitandeni." 



One day I was feeding a Pipistrelle Bat {Vesperugo pipis- 

 trellus) with some moths, and after giving it several different 

 species ( M. Jitictata, M. slrigilis, A. basilinea, and M. brassicas, 

 &c.), I offered it a Magpie -Moth {Abraxus grossnlariala). It 

 took a good bite at this, and then spat it out, and backed away 

 to the far side of its cage, coughing and spluttering in the most 

 ludicrous manner ; and moreover, it was some little time before 

 it would trust me sufficiently to take even a mealworm from my 

 fingers, so bad an impression had the taste oi ffrnssulariala made 



1906 May I. 



