MODE OP FEEDING. 11 



page 4, he will see that inside the great ear is a 

 sharply-pointed membrane, somewhat resembling a 

 second ear. This membrane is called the " tragus," 

 and when the large ears are tucked away out of 

 sight, the tragus remains exposed, and gives the 

 cieature a very strange appearance. 



When the bat is living, the ears are of singular 

 beauty. Their substance is delicate, and semi-trans- 

 parent if viewed against the light ; so much so, in- 

 deed, that by the aid of a microscope the circulation 

 of the blood can be detected. As the creature moves 

 about, the ears are continually in motion, being 

 thrown into graceful and ever-changing curves. If 

 people only knew what a pretty pet the long-eared 

 bat can become, they would soon banish dormice 

 and similar creatures in favour of bats. 



It was rather a remarkable circumstance, that the 

 bat of which I have just been speaking would not 

 touch a fly, although one which I had in my posses- 

 sion some ten years since would eat flies and other 

 insects readily. Whenever it took the insect, it 

 daintily ate up the abdomen and thorax, rejecting 

 the head, wings, and legs. But my second bat 

 entirely refused insects of any kind, and would eat 

 nothing but raw beef cut up into very small morsels. 

 I never had a pet so difficult to feed. 



If the meat were not perfectly fresh, or if it were 

 not cut small enough, the bat would hardly look at 

 it. Now if a bit of raw meat about the size of a 



