A BATTUE OF BATS. 
265 
“ The weather,” he says, “ which was beautiful, balmy, and warm, invited us towards evening tc 
out-door enjoyment and rest, after a fatiguing day of travel and active labour ; but chairs, settees, and 
benches were scarcely occupied by us on the piazza and lawn, when to our amazement, and the horroi 
of the female portion of our party, small black Bats made their appearance in immense numbers, 
flickering around the premises, rushing in and out of doors and through open windows, almost 
obscuring the early twilight, and causing a general stampede of the ladies, who fled, covering 
their heads with their hands, fearing that the dreaded little vampires might make a lodgment 
in their hair. 
“ This remarkable exhibition much increased our disappointment in regard to the habitable con- 
dition of our acquisition, and was entirely unexpected, inasmuch as the unwelcome neighbours were 
in their dormant state, and ensconced out of sight when the property was examined previous to 
purchase. 
“ Evening after evening did we patiently, though not complacently, watch this periodical exodus 
of dusky wings into light from their lurking-places one after another, and in some instances in couples, 
and even triples, according as the size of the holes or apertures from which they emerged in the slate 
roofing would permit. Their excursions invariably commenced with the cry of the Whippoorwill, both 
at coming evening and early dawn, and it was observed that they always first directed their flight 
towards the river, undoubtedly to damp their Mouse-like snouts, but not their spirits, for it was like- 
wise observed that they returned to play hide and seek, and indulge in all other imaginable gambols : 
when, after gratifying their love of sport, and satisfying their voracious appetites (as the absence of 
Mosquitoes and Gnats testified), they would re-enter their habitation, and again emerge at the first 
signal of their feathered trumpeter. Thus I ascertained one very important fact, namely, that the 
Bat, or the species which annoyed us, ate and drank twice in twenty-four hours. Such appeared their 
habit, such, therefore, was their indispensable need.” After trying various remedies, none of which 
seemed to abate the nuisance, M. Figaniere adopted the following plan : — 
“ When the Bats’ reveille was sounded by the bugle of the Whippoorwill , all the hands of our 
establishment, men and boys, each armed with a wooden implement (shaped like a cricket-bat), 
marched to the third floor, ‘ on murderous deeds with thoughts intent.’ A lighted lantern was placed in 
the middle of one of the rooms, divested of all furniture, to allure the hidden foe from their strongholds. 
After closing the window to prevent all escape into the open air, the assailants distributed at regular 
distances to avoid clubbing each other, awaited the appearance of the Bats enticed into the room by 
the artificial light and impelled by their own natural craving. The slaughter commenced, and pro- 
gressed with sanguinary vigour for several hours, or until brought to a close by the weariness of dealing 
blows that made the enemy bite the dust, and overpowered by the heat and closeness of the apartment. 
This plan succeeded perfectly. After a few evenings of similar exercise, in which the hat tears became 
quite expert in the use of their weapons, every wielding of the wooden bat bringing down an expiring 
namesake, the war terminated by the extermination ol every individual of the enemy in the main 
building. However, there still was the cockloft of the laundry, which gave evidence of a large popu- 
lation. In this case I had recourse to a plan which had been recommended, but was not carried out 
in regard to the dwelling-house. I employed a slater to remove a portion of the slating which required 
repairing. This process discovered some fifteen hundred or two thousand Bats, of which the larger 
number were killed, and the remainder sought the barn, trees, and other places of concealment in the 
neighbourhood. 
“ r ^° remove the very disagreeable odour which remained in the upper part of the house, various 
kinds of disinfectants were employed with some advantage ; but the most effectual method resorted to 
was that of opening holes of about four inches square, two at each gable end, to permit a current of 
air to pass through. These holes were covered with wire gauze to prevent the re-entrance of any of the 
remainder of the army of the enemy which might hover around the premises. At the end of five years 
the odour has now nearly disappeared, being hardly perceptible during a continuance of very damp 
weather.” 
The great number of species of Bats which have been described from various parts of the world, 
but especially from tropical and sub-tropical regions, display two very strongly-marked types of structure, 
•associated in general with very different habits and modes of life. Some are exclusively confined tc a 
