ORDER CAHNASSIER. 97 



far separated from the upper as to form with it a right 

 angle. 



The bats resemble the smaller insectivorous mammalia 

 in their gloomy habits, their nocturnal life, the susceptibi- 

 lity of the sensitive organs, which forces them to avoid light 

 and noise, and the very small degree of their specific heat. 

 They pass the winter, or more properly speaking, a consi- 

 derable portion of the year in a state of lethargy. Exqui- 

 sitely sensible to the slightest impressions of cold and hu- 

 midity, they rarely sally from their retreats excepting in the 

 fine evenings of summer. Then they enjoy a full portion of 

 activity, and excited to a very high degree, they are attentive 

 to nothing. Occupied by the chase with immeasurable 

 ardour, they themselves in turn become an easy prey to the 

 rapacious birds of night, or fall into the snares which 

 have been laid for them. They are taken with nets, or with 

 a line, for they strike with avidity against every object 

 which hovers in the air around them. 



The bats being thus derived from the quadrumanous 

 type, and presenting besides numerous relations with the 

 small insectivorous carnassiers, might perhaps be considered 

 as an order possessing fixed limits and altogether distinct 

 within itself. 



It may not prove uninteresting, previously to noticing the 

 most important of the cheiropterous sub-genera, to give a 

 brief sketch of the sentiments of the principal systematic 

 writers on these animals. We shall thus see how far they 

 were able to execute a just classification, by means of the 

 zoological characters then in use. 



Belon was the first who gave a figure of a bat, namely, the 

 great-eared bat, or oreillard. Aldrovandus reproduced 

 this figure, and added a second of the largest European 

 species. Belon had moreover marked a third species 

 which he saw in Egypt. In the course of a little time it 

 was ascertained by the descriptions of travellers and the 

 Vol. II. H 



