ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY" [January,, 



ffrort fine hairs near its end. This curious tail feemed to hold a 

 much bolder proportion in the young than in the full-grown animal. 



The fore legs are very ftrong and mufcular ; their length, to the 

 fole of the paw, is five inches and five-tenths, and the diftance be- 

 tween them is five inches and five-tenths. The paws are flefhy, 

 round, and large, being one inch and nine-tenths in diameter. The 

 claws are five in number, attached to as many fhort digitations. The 

 three middle claws are ftrong, and about eight or nine-tenths of an* 

 inch in length ; the thumb and little finger claws are alfo ftrong, but 

 fhorter than the others^ being only from fix to feven tenths of an inch. 

 The flefhy root of the thumb claw is fmaller and more flexible than* 

 the others. The fole of the paw is hard, and the upper part is co- 

 vered with common hair, down to the roots of the claws which it 

 overhangs. The hind legs are lefs ftrong and mufcular than the fore ; 

 their length, to the fole, is five inches and five-tenths ; the diftance 

 between, feven inches and five-tenths. The hind paw is longer than 

 the fore, but not lefs flefhy. The claws are four in number. The. 

 three inner ones are lefs ftrong, but about two-tenths of an inch 

 longer than the longeft of the fore claws ; and there is a flefhy fpur 

 in the place of a thumb claw. The whole paw has a curve, which 

 throws its fore part rather inward. 



In fize the two fexes are nearly the fame ; but the female is, per- 

 haps, rather the heavieft. 



In the opinion of Mr. Bafs, this Worn-bat feemed to be very cecono- 

 mically made ; but he thought it unneceiTary to give an account of its 

 internal ftru&ure in his journal. 



This animal has not any claim to fwiftnefs of foot, as moft men 

 could run it down. Its pace is hobbling, or fhuffling, fomething like 

 the awkward gait of a bear. In difpofition it is mild and gentle; but 

 it bites hard, and is furious, when provoked. Mr. Bafs never but once - 

 heard its voice ; but at that time it was a low cry, between a hifling 

 and a whizzing, which could not be heard at a diftance of more than 

 thirty or forty yards. He chafed one, and with his hands under the 



6 belly 



