A YOUNG NATURALIST. 171 



sitting down face to face Tvith the dog, with whom, no doubt, 

 he was chatting. Suddenly it jumped up, pricking up its ears, 

 and ran out to meet us, whilst I'Encuerado raised over his head 

 a burning branch to throw a light upon our path. 



At daybreak we were awakened by the voice of the Indian. 

 The gloomy appearance of the weather threatened us with one 

 of those fine rains which appear to last for ever. Sumichrast 

 went off to cut some long switches, covered with leaves, one of 

 which light boughs he handed to each of us before he would 

 allow us to enter the cave. 



"What are these switches for?" asked Lucien, in surprise. 



" M. Sumichrast wants to catch some bats, Chanito.'' 



" Does he intend to eat them 1 " 



" Oh no ; though I have no doubt they would be very good." 



" Their flesh is delicious," interposed Sumichrast ; " the wing 

 especially is a tit-bit which I can highly recommend." 



But my friend could not keep a serious face when he saw 

 Lucien's frightened look ; so his joke partly failed in its effect. 



L'Encuerado entered the cave on tip-toe. The rest of us, 

 taking up a position at the entrance, made every preparation to 

 enrich our collections. Two bats soon fell, beaten down by our 

 switches. Lucien examined them without much repugnance, 

 but the shape of their muzzles surprised him e\'en more than 

 their wings. One of those which he examined had lips cloven in 

 the middle and doubled back ; the other had a flat nose and still 

 more hideous visage, and possessed, instead of ears, two enormous 

 holes, at the bottom of which were situate its black and brilliant 

 eyes. Added to this, the membrane of its wings was so thin and 

 transparent that it seemed as if it must tear with the slightest 

 exertion. The poor little animal gradually recovered itself, and 

 showed its delicate and sharp teeth. Sumichrast took it up, and 

 hung it by the claw at the end of its fore-arm, in order to show 

 Lucien the way in which these creatures cling to the rough places 

 which form their usual resting-place; but it suddenly let go its 

 hold, and disappeared in the dark cave open in front of us. 



The bat, apparently an imperfectly-formed creature, was for a 

 long time a puzzle to naturalists. Fontaine makes it say — 



