COMMON BAT. Crass I, 
to fkim along the furface of pieces of water, in 
queft of gnats and infects: thefe are not its only 
food; for it will eat meat of any kind that it hap 
“pens to find hanging up in a larder. | 
The bat brings only two young at a time; ahicti 
it fuckles from two teats placed on the breaft, like 
thofe of the human race. Thefe animals are capable 
of being brought to fome degree of familiarity. The 
Rev. Mr. White of Selbarne has feen a bat fo far ta- 
med as to eat infects out of a perfon’s hand; and 
while it was feeding would bring its wings round 
before its mouth, hovering in the manner of birds 
of prey. 
Towards the latter end of fummer, the bat re- 
tires into caves, ruined buildings, the roofs:of hou~ 
fes, or hollow trees; where it remains the whole 
winter, in a ftate of inaction; fufpended by the 
hind-feet, and clofely wrapped up in the mem- 
branes of the fore-feet. 
The voice of the bat is fomewhat like that of 
the moufe; but very low, and weak. Ovid takes 
notice both of that, and the derivation of its Latin 
name, 
Lucemauve perofe 
Noéte volant, feroque tenent a vefpere nomen. 
Minimam pro corpore vocem 
Emittunt, peraguntque levi ftridore querelas. 
Met. lib. iv. 10. 
Their little bodies found 
No words, but murmur’d in a fainting found. 
In 
