4^38 AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. [November, 
rCOPIKIGHT SECURED.] 
“A RAT! A BAT! ”—Drawn and Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
Brora 
Dragon 
Lando 
Om 
Da 
Danger 
Largo 
Olia 
Broom 
Doab 
Looga 
Orel 
Boone 
Dooab 
Looe 
Onega 
Bad 
Darling 
Line 
Oneida 
Bogdoin 
Dean 
Ling 
Oo 
Baril 
Deira 
Lomane 
Orange 
Baringo 
Dembia 
Lomnica 
Orbigo 
Bear 
Droma 
Loon 
Orb 
Big 
Dolce 
Logde An 
Ori 
Big Racoon 
Elm 
Labe 
Orne 
Bogan 
Earn 
Labor 
Oigon 
Bo'rgne 
Ebro 
Lambro 
Oring 
Beal 
Ega 
Lar 
Orca 
Blegno 
Emil 
Lamone 
Obe 
Bog 
Eo 
Leila 
Reb 
Bogie 
Elia 
Locarno 
Itea 
Bormida 
End 
Leon 
Ramor 
Borne 
Eil 
Mater 
Robe 
Branco 
Em All 
Macon 
Roman 
Broad 
Emba 
Mad 
Roden 
Bar 
Elio 
Magro 
Reno 
Bacloor 
El Ain 
Maine 
Rion 
Cabool 
Elon 
Main 
Eima 
Gabriel 
Elorn 
Marcoin 
Roneador 
Caio 
Garieb 
Maroni 
Roilerg 
Calder 
Gaboon 
Medina 
Roe 
Calore 
Grande 
Meglino 
Roer 
Cam 
Card 
Mid Coon 
Rice 
Camel 
Gordon 
Moero 
Red 
Camoge 
Gironde 
Mole 
Racoon 
Cane 
Gidca 
Madre 
Rega 
Carbon 
Goorban 
Morar 
Iloder 
Colomera 
Golo 
Mondcgo 
Ranco 
Cologne 
Gail 
Mono 
Rinaco 
Carlbon 
Glina 
Mon 
Roaring 
Carmen 
Gran 
Media 
Rena 
Carron 
Glen 
Mooni 
Rib 
Cedar 
Olencar 
Moore 
Rinde 
Colare 
Gair 
Morona 
Ranco 
Cega 
Gate 
Moro 
Rioa 
Cimarron 
Goil 
Moir 
Roding 
Clain 
Gairdner 
Monar 
Roag 
Coen 
Gan 
More 
Real 
Clara 
Gar 
M arne 
A. B. C. sends 53(5 names ; Jcapnie T. B. G., 531; 
Sadie R. W., 630; n. L. S., 391; A. W. McC., 389; 
M. F. B., 387. 
Next to these, and deserving especial mention, are 
Robt. N. Farwell (“Great Saint Bernard"), 3G4; G. W. 
Fanning, 357; M. L. E., 356; Kittle M. C., 355; Amy R. 
Edwards, 331; Mary F. Sinclair, 320 ; Kate E. S., 319; 
F. R. Gardner, 318; “ Kitty Clover,” 315; and Hudson 
S. Day, 309. For other names see page 437. 
Al»ou.t Batts. 
But few boys and girls, especially if they live in the 
country, have not witnessed a scene like that shown in 
the engraving. Of a summer evening there is found to 
he something silently flitting about the room, and soon 
the alarm is given of “ a hat! a bat! ” and all is at once 
confusion. The whole household is in arms with brooms, 
towels, and other handy weapons, and engaged in a very 
unequal battle with the quiet visitor. The result of the 
conflict is to drive out the bat, or more commonly, we 
fear, to maim or kill it. Sometimes, a wing being 
broken, the animal drops to the floor, and one of its 
thoughtless enemies, courageous enough when he thinks 
the poor creature dead, picks up the maimed body, and 
gets a sharp nip as a small reward for his cruelty. When 
the battle is all over, and the enemy killed, did you ever 
look to see what a beautiful creature had been need¬ 
lessly destroyed ? There are several kinds of bats found 
in the United States, some in the Southern States and on 
the Pacific coast being quite different in many respects 
from the kinds common in the Eastern States. They all 
agree in having most curious and delicate wings. The 
fingers arc wonderfully long, and the membrane or skin 
which forms the wing begins at the neck and is spread 
from one finger to the other, and in our common bats 
passes around the body so as to take in the tail. What 
would correspond to the thumb in the bat is very short, 
and lias a sharp hook at the end. The hind feet are very 
weak, and have five toes armed with sharp claws. A bat 
makes a very clumsy figure when it attempts to walk, 
and shuffles along in an amusing manner, but on the 
wing it moves about with wonderful grace and agility I 
Then you will notice what exceedingly small eyes bats 
have, but what they seem to lack in the sense of sight is 
more than made up to them in that of hearing, the ears 
in all being very large. So sensitive are both ears and 
wings, that when the animal is completely blindfolded 
by a strap of leather over its eyes it will fly through 
rooms and crooked passages without once hitting the 
walls or any obstacle that may be placed in its way. 
During the day the bats hide in caves, old buildings, hol¬ 
low trees, and other dark places, and come out only at 
night in search of their food. When at rest they hang 
by the hooks upon their wings or by their hind feet, and 
they sometimes hang to one another and form large 
masses. In cold climates they pass the winter in a torpid 
state suspended in this way. The writer once lived near 
a ruined church in one of the Southern States where the 
bats congregated in countless thousands. When dis¬ 
turbed the chirping they made was almost deafening. 
They had been there in undisturbed possession so long 
that their droppings covered the floor to the depth of 
some two feet. Some of the bats of the tropics have the 
reputation of attacking man, when asleep, and domestic 
animals for the purpose of feeding upon their blood; but 
all of our bats are not only perfectly harmless, but are 
really useful little animals. When they arc seen darting 
about in the dusk, with such rapid turnings and appar¬ 
ently mysterious movements, they are in pursuit of in¬ 
sects, which form the food of all our species. Living in 
dark and lonesome places by day, and only flying about 
noiselessly by night, it is no wonder that in olden times 
the people were superstitious about bats, but since they 
have been studied and we know more about them there 
is no reason to regard them with dread. When a bat 
enters a room, probably in chase of some injurious in¬ 
sect, it is hardly fair to treat it as an enemy ; but it would 
be much better to politely lower the tops of the window* 
and let it depart unharmed. 
