ON SOME HABITS OF NATTERER'S BAT. 53 



into the cage, but its sight did not appear to be very good, 

 and it made many wild snatches at nothing when an insect 

 was moving in the cage. If a moth was introduced it became 

 more excited than usual, climbed round the cage until it touched 

 the insect, and then hurled itself upon it with great ferocity. 

 It would, too, do what few other Bats would do, pick up an 

 insect from the ground if one was dropped in front of it, or if 

 it allowed one to drop from its mouth. 



It would usually attempt to eat anything that was offered to 

 it, but it was more particular about its food than some other 

 species ; it invariably dropped cooked or uncooked meat or 

 shreds of fish, though I tried it with this food many times. 

 Most spiders were eaten rapidly, but one or two with con- 

 spicuous markings were snatched and then rejected ; a car- 

 nivorous beetle (Carabus) was not only treated in the same 

 way, but the Bat, by spitting and shaking its head, showed 

 evident signs of disgust. 



About Sept. 20th I found that the Bat was often as lively 

 in the morning as it had been at night. It is, of course, 

 possible that this species is more or less nocturnal, as we 

 believe the Lcng-eared Bat to be, and not simply crepuscular 

 like the Noctule and Pipistrelle ; or it may be that the species 

 flies for a short time in the evening and again in the early 

 hours of the day. It is however unwise to attempt to prove 

 this because a Bat in captivity waked at an unusual time. 

 Certainly my Natterer's Bat settled down to sleep immediately 

 after it had been fed and had taken exercise in the evening, but 

 then I cannot be sure that I gave it either as much food or 

 exercise as it would have taken in a free state. Then, again, 

 the period of hibernation was approaching, and the animal may 

 have required food in greater quantity and more frequently than 

 is usually the case, for it seems reasonable to suppose that 

 a considerable quantity of nourishment is necessary before a 

 prolonged sleep. 



This habit of awakening in the morning, or perhaps re- 

 maining awake most of the night, gave me additional oppor- 

 tunities for watching the Bat on the wing. I found it did 

 not fly for very long without resting ; it would remain on 

 the wing from ten to twenty minutes at a time, and then 



