HOWELL — THE CALIFORNIA MASTIFF BAT 
117 
for a few minutes was sure to rouse her ladyship into full vocal and 
muscular vigor. She refused all food, and at the end of six weeks, 
quietly died, although she was not emaciated and still had a slight 
reserve of fat. However, I am satisfied that the mastiffs take regular 
flights during the winter, when the weather and the state of their ap- 
petites are both propitious. During the middle of February, when there 
was a skim of fice almost every night, one roosted in the old packing 
house previously referred to, but stayed for only three days at most, 
and Hanna saw several leave the Colton colony one evening during the 
winter. 
As far as I am aware, no one has ever observed this species while 
it was hunting. Several times, just at sunset, very large bats have 
flown towards the hills, singly, at a great height above the ground, 
uttering strident cries which were plainly heard inside of my house. 
These, D. R. Dickey and I took to be mastiffs. On the other hand, 
Hanna and I have each observed them leaving the roosts at very late 
dusk, dropping plummet-like from the exits and curving away when 
almost to the ground. Habitually, they must be late fliers, and pos- 
sibly move at a considerable height above the ground, for they are 
too big to go unremarked if awing before dark. I have ascertained that 
the evening flight lasts for only about three-quarters of an hour, and 
they then return to roost. Presumably, there is another flight just 
before dawn, but I have never verified this supposition. 
