VESPERUGO SEROTINUS FUSCUS. 1 87 



Schobl thinks it probable that the fibres on one side are continuous 

 with those on the opposite side, and that there is thus a bipolar 

 arran^^ement here. He attributes to the fine network of pale nerve 

 fibres belon"-ino- to the fifth layer the appreciation of temperature, 

 pain, &c.; to the tastkorperchen the highly exalted sense of touch. 

 It is curious that both kinds of nerve endings are connected with 

 the Malpighian layer of the skin." * 



Rafinesque, that eccentric, irascible, and not over liberal natural- 

 ist, whose inaccurate and ambiguous descriptions of species have cre- 

 ated so much confusion in many departments of Natural History, was 

 once the o-uest of the illustrious Audubon. The event was the 

 occasion of a somewhat ludicrous adventure, which Mr, Audubon 

 thus graphically narrates : " When it was waxed late I showed him 

 to the apartment intended for him during his stay, and endeavored 

 to render him comfortable, leaving him writing material in 

 abundance. I was indeed heartily glad to have a naturalist under 

 my roof. We had all retired to rest. Every person I imagined 

 was in deep slumber, save myself, when of a sudden I heard a 

 great uproar in the naturalist's room. I got up, reached the place 

 in a few moments, and opened the door, when, to my astonishment, 

 I saw my guest running about the room naked, holding the handle 

 of my favorite violin, the body of which he had battered to pieces 

 ao-ainst the walls in attempting to kill the bats, which had entered 

 by the open window, probably attracted by the insects flying 

 around his candle. I stood amazed, but he continued running 

 round and round, until he was fairly exhausted; when he begged 

 me to procure one of the animals for him, as he felt convinced they 

 belonged to a new species." f 



* American Naturalist, Vol. V, No. 3, May, 1S71, jiii. 174-175- 

 •f Quoted in Allen's Monograph, i^p. xvi-xvii. 



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