852 MR. T. A. COWARD ON THE [NoV. 27, 



moths' wiiig.s. Mr. J. G. Millaits (7), after stilting that the Greater 

 Horseshoe does not devour all its food whilst on the wing, " but 

 conveys some to its diurnal resting-place," where it consumes it 

 " while clinging to the walls or rocks," adds that " Mi-. A. G. 

 Berry tells me that he has swept up a dustpanful of moths' wings 

 and beetle-cases, the discax-dod I'emains of a night's foray, from 

 beneath the sleeping-place of a cluster of these bats." Both 

 these cases I'efer to the habit of the bats during the period of 

 a,ctivity, but they show that the animals do not always, at a ay 

 rate, feed as the Noctule and certain other species do, whilst upon 

 the wing. 



A female Lesser Hoiseshoe, which I obtained in December 

 19U5, having snatched a mealworm from my hand, flew with it 

 to the wall, hung by her feet to the picture-rail, and consumed 

 the mealworm when at rest. I repeated the experiment two or 

 three times, and found that she always settled before devouring 

 the worm, a habit which is not constant in other species, though 

 occasionally resorted to. I have found that a Long- eared Bat 

 will devom- a mealwoi-m when on the wing or when hanging, the 

 latter being the unusual method. As I was able to make this 

 Horseshoe fly only a few times — four, I think — it would be unwise 

 to say that the species, never feeds upon the wing. 



The use of the interfemoral membrane in the Yespertilionklce 

 has been demonsti'ated on sevei-al occasions. When an insect, 

 large and powerful in proportion to the size and strength of the 

 bat, has been captured, the liat thrusts its head beneath its belly, 

 into a receptacle or pouch foimed by the interfemoial membi'ane 

 when the tail is bent forwards beneath the body. Against this 

 membrane the insect can be pushed and held until a firm grip is 

 secured by the bat's jaws, an action which varies in duration of 

 time according to the size of the insect, but is usually accom- 

 plished in an instant. Having secured a firm grip of its prey, the 

 bat withdi-aws its head with great rapidity from the pouch, and 

 masticates the insect openly. Naturally it is exceedingly difficult 

 to see anything of the modus operandi when the bat is feeding 

 in a free state on the wing ; but when the animals are fed in 

 captivity the habit is so constant, that we can only suppose 

 that it is a natural and ordinary method, and not a trick 

 acquired in captivity. 



Gilbert White (8) says : — " I Avas much entertained last sunnuer 

 with a tame bat, which would take flies out of a pei'son's hand. 

 If you gave it anything to ea,t, it bi'ought its wings round befoi'e 

 the mouth, hovering and hiding it's head in the manner of birds 

 of prey when they feed." Many writers since, who have watched 

 liats feeding in captivit}^, have been influenced by this idea ; for 

 example, the Rev. J. G. Wood says of a Long-eared Bat (9) : — " It 

 seized the meat with a shai-p snap, retreated to the middle of the 

 cage, sat upright, thrust its wings forward to form a, kind of tent, 

 <ind then, lowering its head under its wings, disposed of tlie meat 

 unseen." W. Bingley (10), referring to " The Common or Little 



