OBSERVATIONS ON THE NOCTULE. 57 



the Bat's nose, or if a partially devoured mealworm succeeds, by 

 dint of its convulsive struggles, in escaping from the Bat's jaws, 

 and instinctively makes for the darkness beneath its body or 

 wings, the Bat makes no attempt to recover it. It usually turns 

 its head from side to side, and then runs forward on the look-out 

 for fresh prey. This failure to recover, or even search for, food 

 which has been dropped is not due to any distaste on the Bat's 

 part, for it will seize and devour the lost prey if it be proffered 

 again. It seems to arise from the absence of any conception 

 that food once dropped can be found again, and no doubt implies 

 that Bats obtain, and have for an infinite number of generations 

 obtained, all their food whilst on the wing. Even if this be so, it 

 is still very curious that a Bat should be able to adapt itself at 

 once to entirely new conditions, and take food readily whilst held 

 in the hand, and yet after a captivity of nearly three months 

 should persistently ignore palatable food which it has dropped, 

 and which lies immediately beneath it. 



Bats drink frequently. My captive Noctules sometimes 

 lapped water from a saucer which stood on the table, but gener- 

 ally took the liquid from a camel's-hair pencil, either by lapping, 

 or by taking the brush into their mouths and sucking it. Their 

 food consisted of mealworms (the larvae of a beetle, Tenehrio 

 molltor), raw lean beef, and such moths, beetles, and other insects 

 as I was able to procure. All food was thoroughly masticated 

 by an extremely rapid movement of the jaws before it was 

 swallowed. The wings of moths were generally consumed, but 

 the horny elytra of large beetles were bitten off and allowed to 

 fall as the insect disappeared in the Bat's mouth. Mealworms 

 and small moths, as well as Cicindela campestris, and beetles of 

 lesser size, were seized and eaten without any attempt to over- 

 come their struggles. On the other hand, large moths, such as 

 Xylophasia polyodon and Phlogophora meticulosa, were some- 

 times, and the powerful beetles Geotrupes stercorarius and 

 Melolontha vulgaris always, thrust by the Bat into the pouch 

 formed by the interfemoral membrane, in order to secure them 

 effectually before they were eaten.* A Cricket (Acheta domes- 

 tica) offered to one of Mr. Coward's Bats was treated in this way, 

 but Cockroaches {Blatta orientalis) were in some instances thrust 



* For a description of this habit, see ' Zoologist,' 1899, pp. 471-474, 

 ^ooL Jfth ser. vol. V., February, 1901. F 



