BAT-CATCHING. 9 



morning. He had contrived to arrange two keys in 

 such a manner that, when grated over each other, 

 they produced a squeaking sound that exactly re- 

 sembled the cry uttered by the bat. So, by judicious 

 management of his keys, he kept the congregation 

 on the look-out for the bat, and beguiled the time 

 much to his satisfaction. 



01 so piercing and peculiar a nature is the cry, 

 that it gives no clue to the position or distance of 

 the creature that utters it, and it seems to proceed 

 indiscriminately from any portion of the air towards 

 which the attention happens to be directed. The 

 note of the grasshopper lark possesses somewhat of 

 the same quality. 



Even in confinement the bat is an interesting 

 creature, and discovers certain traits of character 

 and peculiarities of habit which in its wild state can- 

 not be seen. I might here refer to several stories 

 of domesticated and tamed bats ; but as they have 

 already been given to the world, and my space is 

 limited, I prefer to give my own experiences. 



Not long ago, I received a message from a neigh- 

 bouring grocer, requesting me to capture a bat which 

 had flown into the shop, and which no one dared 

 touch. 



"When I arrived, the creature had taken refuge 

 on an upper shelf, and had crawled among a pile cf 

 sugar -loaves that were lying on their sides after the 

 usuai custom. We pulled out several loaves near 



