Quadrupeds. 4245 



" 8. That the habits and changes of the new Triton are in accord- 

 ance with the other species." — P. 383. 



The third of these propositions, namely, that the Triton, daring his 

 land life, is in a state of activity in the summer and of torpidity in the 

 winter, must be regarded as rather more comparative than positive : 

 if you turn up a Triton from under a stone, or extract him from some 

 crevice between bricks in your cellar, you find him lethargic in every 

 month of the year. Here is one on this sheet of paper; he is sprawl- 

 ing on his back : now he has regained his natural position ; not agile 

 indeed, yet not torpid : and the weather is cold ; the ponds are fro- 

 zen ; Fahrenheit is at 26° : in summer he would be more lively, per- 

 haps, but even then rather a slow reptile. 



Note on the Extraordinary Torpidity of a Bat. By the Rev. 

 Alfred Charles Smith, M.A. 



While effecting some repairs in the pavement of the aisle of my 

 church a short time since, the masons found it necessary to remove 

 some bricks from the solid wall of an adjacent vault, in order the 

 better to adjust an iron bar intended to support the superincumbent 

 flag-stone. It seems that one or two bricks being removed, and 

 several large and handsome coffins being exposed to view, curiosity 

 tempted one of the workmen to reach his hand in with a lighted can- 

 dle, in order to see the names and dates on the coffins ; the result of 

 which investigation showed that the last coffin was placed there in 

 1748. During this search I entered the church, just in time to wit- 

 ness the extreme surprise, and the no little consternation of the man, 

 whose hand had suddenly come in contact with a bat, suspended from 

 the roof of the vault. The bat was soon brought to light, and, in its 

 half-torpid state, placed in my hand. We then proceeded to make a 

 very minute examination of this vault with a lighted candle, in order 

 to discover, if possible, by what means the bat could have penetrated 

 to its resting-place : but, although our search was very careful and 

 long-continued, we failed to discover the smallest crack or crevice in 

 which a pin could be thrust. The roof was an arch of brick, sur- 

 mounted by flag-stones ; the sides were solid walls of masonry, bear- 

 ing no appearance internally of decay ; and the position of the vault 

 was very near the centre of the church : so that I was much puzzled 

 to account for the occurrence of the bat in a place apparently herme- 

 XII. N 



