BATS. — HAWKS. 
31 
would take flies out of a person's hand. If you gave it any thing 
to eat, it brought its wings round before the mouth, hovering 
and hiding its head in the manner of birds of prey when they 
feed. The adroitness it showed in shearing off the wings of the 
flies, which were always rejected, was worthy of observation, and 
pleased me much. Insects seemed to be most acceptable, though 
it did not refuse raw flesh when offered : so that the notion, that 
bats go down chimneys and gnaw mens' bacon, seems no impro- 
bable story. While I amused myself with this wonderful quad- 
ruped, I saw it several times confute the vulgar opinion, that 
bats when down on a flat surface cannot get on the wing again, 
by rising with great ease from the floor. It ran, I observed, 
with more despatch than I was aware of ; but in a most ridiculous 
and grotesque manner.* 
Bats drink on the wing, like swallows, by sipping the surface 
as they play over pools and streams. They love to frequent 
waters, not only for the sake of drinking, but on account of in- 
sects, which are found over them in the greatest plenty. As I 
was going, some years ago, pretty late, in a boat from Richmond 
to Sunbury, on a warm summer's evening, I think I saw myriads 
of bats between the two places. The air swarmed with them all 
along the Thames, so that hundreds were in sight at a time. 
LETTER XIL To T. PENNANT, Esq, 
SIR, November 4, 1767- 
It gave me no small satisfaction to hear that the falcof turned 
out an uncommon one. I must confess I should have been 
extent of wirig, and is extremely rare in this country. No less than sixteen species may now be 
obtained in this country. — Ed. 
* The species of which the above is related i» the common bat {vespertilio muriyms ), which, in 
confinement, I have often seen eat flies in the manner here specified. At the time of penning 
this letter Mr. White knew but of two species ; and the vespertilio plecotus vulgaris (or, as he 
terms it, vespertilio auribus) I have invariably found to refiise all sustenance when deprived of 
liberty. The latter is by far the commonest species in Surrey. — Ed. 
t This hawk proved to be the falco peregrinus. This noble bird, the peregrine falcon, one of 
the most typical of birds of prey, is the species which, in the days of falconry, was in most gene- 
ral request for the pursuit of herons and other large game. It is of rare occurrence in the south- 
eastern counties of England, but is not uncommon upon the mountainous and rugged districts 
of the north, nor along the whole range of lofty precipices which bound the west. It may occa- 
sionally be seen early in the morning in the midst of London, perched upon St. Pauls, or on 
Westminster Abbey ; but is never noticed in the environs, a very few minutes^ flight suflicing ts> 
transport it a distance of twenty or thirty miles. — Ed. 
