COMMON BAT. 
72 
begins its flight in the dusk of the evening. It 
principally frequents the sides of woods/ glades, 
and shady walks ; and is frequently observed to 
skim along the surface of pieces of water. It 
pursues gnats, moths, and nocturnal insects of 
every kind. It feeds upon these ; but will not 
refuse meat, whenever it can find it. Its flight is 
a laborious, irregular movement ; and if it hap- 
pens to be interrupted in its course, it cannot 
readily prepare for a second elevation : so that if it 
strikes against any object, and falls to the ground, 
it is usually taken. It appears only in the most 
pleasant evenings, when its prey is generally abroad, 
and flies in pursuit with its mouth open. At 
other times it continues in its retreat ; the chink 
of a ruined building, or the hollow of a tree* 
Thus this little animal, even in summer, sleeps 
the greatest part of its time, never venturing out 
by day-light, nor in rainy weather ; never hunting 
In quest of prey, but for a spiall part of the night, 
and then returning to its hole. But its short life 
is still more abridged by continuing in a torpid 
state during the winter. At the approach of the 
cold season, the bat prepares for its state of life- 
less inactivity, and seems rather to choose a place 
where it may continue safe from interruption, 
than where it may be warmly, or conveniently 
lodged. For this reason it is usually seen hang- 
ing by its hooked claws to the roofs of caves, 
regardless of the eternal damps that surround it. 
The bat seems the only animal that will venture 
to remain in these frightful subterranean abodes* 
where it continues in a torpid state, unaffected by 
every change of the weather. Such of this kind 
as are not provident enough to procure themselves 
a deep retreat, where the cold and heat seldom 
vary, are sometimes exposed to great inconve-* 
faiences, for the weather often becomes so ipild 
