232 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
These reptiles flew, in the same way that bats do, by means of 
a vast membrane extending from each enormously elongated 
hand to the adjacent side of the body. 
While, however, in the bat all the fingers of each hand are 
enormously elongated (to support the alar membrane) — the 
thumb alone remaining free — in these flying reptiles only a 
single finger of each hand was thus elongated, the others re- 
maining short, and being provided with claws like the thumb. 
With the approach of the winter season bats (like dormice) 
fall into a peculiar state of winter sleep called hibernation. 
For this purpose they generally assemble together in large 
numbers, in out-of-the-way places — caverns, hollow trees, or the 
roofs of buildings — hanging head downwards by the claws of 
their feet. During this condition the most important functions 
of life — breathing and the circulation of the blood — are per- 
formed only with exceedingly reduced activity, the temperature 
of the body becoming notably diminished. 
Some of our English bats may be kept in confinement and 
partly domesticated for a time, small pieces of raw meat being 
given to them in lieu of their natural insect foot. Speaking of 
the long-eared bat, Mr. Bell tells us : “ It is more readily 
tamed than any other, and may soon be brought to exhibit a 
considerable degree of familiarity with those who feed and 
caress it. I have frequently watched them when in confine- 
ment, and have observed them to be bold and familiar even 
from the first. They are very cleanly ; not only cleaning 
themselves after feeding, and at other times, with great assiduity, 
but occasionally assisting each other in this office. They are 
very playful, too, and their gambols are not the less amusing 
from their awkwardness. They run over and against each 
other, pretending to bite, but never harming their companions 
of the same species ; though I have seen them exhibit a sad 
spirit of persecution to an unfortunate Barbastelle which was 
placed in the same cage with them. They may be readily 
brought to eat from the hand, and my friend Mr. James 
Sowerby had one which, when at liberty in the parlour, would 
fly to the hand of any of the young people who held up a fly 
towards it, and, pitching on the hand, take the fly without hesi- 
tation. If the insect were held between the lips, the bat would 
then settle on its young patron’s cheek, and take the fly with 
great gentleness from the mouth ; and so far was this familiarity 
carried, that when either of my young friends made a humming 
noise with the mouth in imitation of an insect, the bat would 
search about the lips for the promised dainty.” 
One of the “young friends” here referred to is now the 
esteemed secretary at the Botanical Gardens, and he has assured 
me of the truth of the anecdote. 
