FISH-EATING BATS 



243 



which may possibly be done or assisted by the 

 wings. It is believed that the fish are sometimes 

 lifted out by the membrane alone being employed 

 as an impervious net." 



In a subsequent report he says : — 



"On January 15 I went in an open boat by 

 Carenage to the Five Islands, and crossed to Point 

 Gourd. ... I remained the 

 night in the locality, and ob- 

 served bats continually. Some 

 partially dived for fish within 

 fifteen yards of the boat, but 

 this was before we commenced 

 to try and shoot them. I see foot of noctilio liiporinus. 

 no reason to change the opinion {.Natural size:) 



expressed in my previous report respecting the 

 manner in which the fish is secured, and subse- 

 quently disposed of. There is no doubt but that 

 the immersion of the intarfemoral membrane and 

 the securing of the fish are simultaneous move- 

 ments." 



After some further remarks, he concludes : — 



" A microscopic examination of some of the 

 excrement, collected in the caves frequented by 

 these bats, proved the presence of chitin from a 

 beetle's leg and scales from the wing of a butterfly. 

 This would tend to show that when fish food is 

 scarce (or unprocurable) the bats can accommodate 

 themselves to insect food." 



After this circumstantial account by Professor 

 M'Carthy, confirmatory as it is of all that had been 

 previously stated by Messrs Kingsley, it is impossible 



