PLIGHT OF THE BAT. 5 



Their flight is very singular, and reminds one of 

 the butterfly in its apparently vague flitting. In- 

 deed, there are many large moths that fly by night 

 who can hardly be distinguished from the bats, if the 

 evening be rather dark, so similar are they in their 

 mode of journeying through the air. 



From this peculiarity of flight, they are accounted 

 difficult marks for a gun ; and it is unfortunately a 

 custom with some ruthless powder-burners to prac- 

 tise by day at swallows and by night at bats. Now, 

 even putting the matter in its lowest form, it is 

 wrong to shoot swallows ; for they are most useful 

 birds, and serve to thin the host of flies and other 

 insects that people the summer air. 



As regards the swallow, this is well known, and 

 does serve to protect it from some persons who have 

 more compassion than the generality. Moreover, 

 the swallows, swifts, and martins are extremely 

 pretty birds, and their beauty is in some degree their 

 shield. 



But the bat is as useful a creature as the swallow, 

 and in the very same way; for, when the evening 

 comes on, and the swallow retires to its nest, the bat 

 issues from its home and takes up the work just 

 where the swallow leaves it — the two creatures 

 dividing the day and night between them. There- 

 fore, let those who refrain from swallow shooting in- 

 clude the bat in their free list. 



Some there are whom nothing can restrain from 



