THE EPAULETTED FRUIT BAT 



with one or both hind legs, and on the same instant 

 the wings close tight. If a fruit is not within 

 reach, it climbs along to it. Often the bat hovers 

 over the desired morsel with expanded wings and 

 seizes it in its mouth or takes bites out of it with- 

 out alighting. 



When shot at or otherwise molested. Fruit Bats 

 become very suspicious and cunning, and take to 

 visiting the orchards late in the night or towards 

 morning. 



In Natal they robbed my orchard to such an extent 

 that I declared war against them ; but after shooting 

 half a dozen I found it necessary to sit up late into 

 the night, and even then only succeeded in killing 

 one or two. Their sight and hearing are keen and 

 sharp, and after being frightened once or twice by 

 being shot at, they are so wary that unless you care- 

 fully conceal yourself you wiU fail to get a shot at 

 them. 



Fruit Bats are without any redeeming qualities, 

 so far as man is concerned, for they rob him 

 in a wholesale way of his fruit. They not only eat 

 a great quantity, but they are exceedingly waste- 

 ful. For several mornings I examined their refuse 

 heaps and found that some fruits had barely been 

 tasted — they were evidently not to the liking of the 

 thief and were dropped. Others were partly eaten, 

 and on the skins and pips of most of them a portion 

 of the edible pulp remained. Then again, in squab- 

 bling with each other over the fruit, and in their 



87 



