162 
PHCENIX PARK. 
beetle, but she would not eat : she would seize and 
bite them spitefully, but presently dropped them. 
She would not drink when held in the hand, and the 
muzzle presented to water ; but if it were allowed to 
fall in drops upon her face, she would suck them in 
with a motion of chewing, with apparent satisfaction. 
There was much of mastiff-manners, as well as 
physiognomy, in her ; she often bared her teeth by 
contracting the sides of the lips, and watched with 
open mouth to seize any object presented, which she 
then held with surprising force and pertinacity. 
I incline to think that some Bats at least are cre- 
puscular, and not nocturnal. The family assured me 
that after these Mastiff-bats had emerged a few 
hours, they invariably returned into the hole again ; 
aud they several times directed my attention to them 
when returning. On looking out, I indeed saw that 
they were flying up towards the hole in the eaves, 
but, on account of the darkness, I could not be 
sure W'hether they entered. One moonlit evening, 
however, looking through the window, between eight 
and nine o’clock, I distinctly saw one, after flying up 
and hovering a minute or two, and then coursing 
round again, twice or thrice in succession, — I dis- 
tinctly saw it enter the hole, whence it emerged no 
more, at least while I continued to look at it. I 
asked Sam’s opinion, without intimating to him what 
I thought. He without hesitation affirmed that they 
do not fly all night, stating that when he had been 
abroad through the whole night, grinding cane,’’as was 
often the case, he had noticed Bats numerous a little 
after the evening, and again a little before the 
