280 
BLUEFIELDS. 
my. The Y\i\\.Q ’piccaninnies play about on the banks, 
exhibiting their plump oily faces to the sun, or lie 
on the grass beneath the fruit-trees that are so nu- 
merous, sucking the oranges and mangoes that grow 
in profuse abundance. 
One evening in the beginning of December my lad 
Sam, having gone out to chat with the young women 
before they left for home, and to assist to place the 
immense baskets of wet clothes upon their heads, 
where the negro carries everything, heavy or light — 
had his notice attracted by a great number of Bats 
flying a little before sunset under the Avocada Pear- 
trees. With an insect-net, which he hastened to 
procure, he captured one, and on the next evening 
another, both of which were of one species, the Red 
Hairy-tail of the United States {Lasiurus rufus'). 
One of them had its wing broken by the net, and 
soon died ; the other was uninjured. Its bright 
rufous colour, round head, short ears, prominent 
nose, and small eyes, gave it a remarkable aspect, 
especially since it usually kept these last closed; 
when their position could with difiiculty be recog- 
nised. When held in the hand, the long tail and 
ample interfemoral membrane, (which is clothed on 
its upper surface with rufous hair like the body,) 
were continually bent up towards the belly. In its 
impatience of restraint it was perpetually clawing 
with the hind feet at anything within reach, by 
which it tore several holes in the membrane of its 
own wings ; for the same reason it strove to bite, 
seizing its hind feet or tail with its jaws, or snapping 
at my fingers ; but I found that though the little 
