LECTURE 11. 51 



The curious structure of the wings in the Bat 

 tribe cannot be contemplated without admiration; 

 being so formed as to be capable, from their thin- 

 ness, of being contracted at pleasure into innu- 

 merable wrinkles, so as to lie in a very small space 

 when the animal is at rest, and to be stretched into 

 a wide expanse for occasional flight. 



The common Bats of our own country, how- 

 ever really curious, sink into insignificant objects 

 compared to the enormous species found in some 

 parts of India, Africa, and South America. Of 

 these the chief is a species, long celebrated under 

 the name of the Vampyre Bat : it is the Vesper- 

 tilio Vampja'us of Linn^us, and its extraordinary 

 history, if true, may well be said to deserve par- 

 ticular attention. The body of this animal is 

 tv\"ice the size of a squirrel, or even larger, and 

 the extent of the wings often measures at least 

 five feet*: the colour of the body is a dusky brown, 

 the head, neck, and shoulders of a reddish-brov/n : 

 the wings black, as in the common bat. This 

 species preys chiefly on. insects and fruits ; but it 



* Sir Hans Sloane, as appears by his catalogue^ preserved in 

 the British Museum^ was in possession of a specimen measuring 

 seven feet. This is the largest I ever remeaiber to have heard of, 

 and was brought from Sumatra. 



