MISCELLANEOUS ANIMALS 407 



An instructive problem may be made as follows : If a bat catch 

 one female codling moth every night from May 20 to July i, how 

 many bushels of apples may be saved, allowing that each moth lay 

 fifty eggs on as many apples and that there are two hundred apples 

 to the bushel? Ans. 273 bushels. 



An unwarranted fear and dislike of bats seems to be general in 

 this country. They are said to fly into people's hair, necessitating 

 cutting it off, if long, in order to get them out. The writer has had 

 bats for months at a time given full liberty of the house, but has 

 never known of such an accident. Even if one should get into the 

 hair, it would do no harm and could be easily removed if the person 

 were not frightened. It is also said that they carry vermin, especially 

 bedbugs, but I have examined dozens and never found a single speci- 

 men ; and, further, I have found that they actually eat bedbugs with 

 apparent relish. Bats are known to live in caves, hollow trees, and 

 the crevices about barns and houses, often in colonies of scores or 

 even hundreds. The fact that such numbers are able to find sub- 

 sistence is sufficient proof that a family of bats is a valuable accjuisi- 

 tion to a farm or garden. 



Squirrels. — These are graceful pets and, next to the 

 birds, form the most animated life of parks and wood- 

 lands. It is one of our crimes against nature that they 

 have been so nearly exterminated in many sections. What 

 the children can do to bring them back is the ques- 

 tion for nature study. Their food consists chiefly of 

 nuts and acorns, which fall in such abundance that we 

 should not begrudge them the few they need, and they 

 undoubtedly plant enough to repay the trees for those 

 they eat. 



Perhaps one of the pupils has a tame squirrel that he 

 can bring to school for a few days. If so, we shall be able 

 to study its foods and habits in such wise as to enable the 

 children to form a genuine acquaintance with it. If there 



