344 
BAT. 
by thin broad membranes, extending to the hind 
legs ; and from them to the tail. The membranes 
are of a dusky colour : a mouse-coloured fur tinged 
with red covers the body, which is two inches and 
a half in length ; the eyes are very small ; the ears 
like those of a mouse. Bats bring forth in the sum- 
mer, and are commonly supposed to produce two 
young at a birth. The female has two nipples, and 
these are prominent on the breast, somewhat re- 
sembling the human. It is observed that the fe- 
male makes no nest for her young, as most birds 
and quadrupeds are known to do ; but is barely con- 
tent with the first hole she finds, where she ad- 
heres by her hooks, and suffers the young to hang 
at the breast; to which they fix so firmly when 
recently born, that they are not to be removed with- 
out difficulty. In this manner they continue to 
suck for a day or two, without altering their posi- 
tion. At length, when the dam begins to be ex- 
hausted for want of food, we are told that, before 
she leaves her hiding-place, she removes her young 
from her breast, and sticks them against the wall ; 
to which they firmly cling, and patiently wait the 
return of the parent. 
The observation of Buflfon, that bats eat the whole 
of insects, seems to admit of a doubt. Mr. White 
of Selborne had an opportunity, in the year 1766, 
of seeing a tame bat, and he has left us the following 
account of its manner of feeding : 
■ f It would take flies out of a person’s hand ; if 
you gave it any thing to eat, it brought its wings 
