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PASSIONAL ZOOLOGY. 
CHEIROPTERIA I BATS. 
I know no animal series which has fared so ill for its names as 
that of the flying mammifers. The French have first baptized it 
with the generic name of chauve souris — bald mouse, which does 
not seem very happy, seeing that the fabulous animal in question 
is neither a mouse nor bald. Science has succeeded no better with 
its last etiquette of cheiropteria (winged hands), for the locomo- 
tive organs of the beast in question are neither wings nor hands : 
vespertilios — anthropomorphous, are no more to the purpose. 
Since official science desired so earnestly to honor this infamy 
by a Greek name, it should have framed for it a compound noun, 
answering to the natural indication, something like teat-bird or fly- 
ing-quadruped. 
1 accept the term cheiropteria carelessly, to prove that I do not 
seek occasions of humbling science ; besides, of all the dirty things 
of the last creation, the bat was doubtless the most difficult to 
name ; and I should fear to frighten my fair young readers by 
restoring to it its true name, for the bat is an emblem of death ! 
And of what a death ! And only one name suited it, that of Scare- 
crow or of Satanite, which certain passional zoologists have given 
to the Halcyon of the tempests. 
Persons unskilled in guessing the riddles of Hature, and who 
know what pains it takes to make the dumb speak, will believe 
me on my word when I assure them that it has cost me ten years 
of consecutive relations with the bat, and incredible eflbrts of per- 
severance and of importunity, to bring it to unclench its teeth and 
to confess to me all its turpitudes. It is true that he has made a 
long story of them. And I know not truly, considering the na- 
ture of these confidences, if I should not do better to keep them 
to myself than to impart them to the public. I feel my flesh 
crawl at the mere idea of the vexatious consequences that my in- 
discretion might have with weak persons. 
The question of the Bat is a question of the other world — a 
question which smells of the stake. All is mystery, imposture, 
and darkness in this series of transition, in all these casts of am- 
