(' 201 ) 
Three fmall Bats. 
T H E upper Figure is a Bat from Jamaica: Tt differs from thofe in England , in having a 
fmall Flap on the Nofe, and in wanting a Tail, a Web or Skin filling up the Space be¬ 
tween the hinder Legs. This Figure fhows the Belly upwards, The middle Figure is the fhort- 
eared Englijh Bat, with the Back upwards. The lower Figure is the long ear’d, or double- 
ear’d Englijh Bat, with its Belly upwards, the better to fhow the double Ears. They are all 
three reduced from their natural Size, juft half, or by a Scale of twelve fuppofed Inches di¬ 
vided on fix Standard ones. 
The upper Figure is principally remarkable for the Flap on its Nofe, which when newly ta¬ 
ken out of Spirits was pliable, (by which Means I think I have difcovered its Ufej and would 
cover the Noftriis, and fix its Point into a Notch in the under Lip, by which it locked up the 
Nofe and Mouth. This I take to be a Contrivance to prevent the Tranfpiration of its Juices 
in its torpid or fleeping State, in the rainy Seafons of hot Countries, or the rigid Seafons of 
colder Climates ; for this Genus are, I believe, all Sleepers at certain Times. It hath no Tail, 
in which it differs from thofe found with us. 
The middle Figure is the fhort-ear’d Englijh Bat: It differs from the upper in wanting the 
Flap on the Nofe, and in having a Tail. The Colours in the three Sorts are pretty much the 
fame, viz. their Heads and Bodies are covered with fhort Fur, or Hair, like that of Mice, of 
a lightifh Moufe, or Dun-Colour beneath, and a little more of a reddifli Brown on their upper 
Sides. The Bones that extend the Wings, if examined, are really no other than the forward 
Legs, extended far beyond the ufual Length in other Quadrupedes, and webbed together like the 
Feet in Water-Fowl, fo that a Bat is no more of Kin to Birds, than Water-Fowl are to Fifties. 
The fmall Toe, and the four larger, are diftindt in what is called the Wing •, the little Toe is 
fhort, with a Claw, in order to fix itfelf to any Place, and crawl along •, thefeToes are webbed 
with an exceeding fine, thin, foft Membrane, which alio fills up the Spaces on its Sides between 
the Wings and hinder Legs, and again between the hinder Legs and Tail, as the Figures 
bell exprefs. The hinder Feet in all of them are like thofe of Mice •, they have fmall fharp 
Teeth, rather like thofe of Cats than Mice •, the Webs in all of them are of a Dark, duflcy Co¬ 
lour, above and beneath ; but the Bones of the Legs and Wings that extend the Membrane are 
covered beneath with* a Dufky, Flelh-colour’d Skin. 
The lower Figure hath exceeding long'Ears, with fhorter ones within them, which feem to 
be contrived to (but the Ears in its fleeping State, for the fame Purpofe as the Flap clofing the 
Mouth in the upper Figure ; this alfo differs from the two Uppermoft, in having little Hollows 
at the Points of the Wings, as expreffed by the Figure. 
The Uppermoft was brought from Jamaica , by Mr. Harpur , Surgeon, late of Plajlcw in EJfex : 
The other two I procured alive at London. Sir Hans Sloane mentions a Bat in Jamaica agreeing 
with our common Bats. See his Hijlory of Jamaica, Vol. II. P. 330, and alfo a Bat with an Ear¬ 
like Procefs over its Snout, which is, I fuppofe, the fame with P iso’s Vefpertilio cor nut us, and 
the firft defcrib’d above. M. de la Condamine in his Voyage down the River of Amazons, fays, 
the Bats which fuck the Blood of Horfes, Mules, and even Men, when they don’t fecure them- 
felves from them, are a Nufance common to moll of the hot Countries in America, and fotne of 
them are of a monftrous Bignfes: At Borja, and in divers other Places, they have deftroyed the 
great Cattle which the Miftionaries had introduced there, and which began to multiply in thofe 
Parts, j Dampier, in his Voyage round the World, fays, in the Ifland of Mindanao, in the Eafl- 
Indies , there are Bats as big as Kites. Near the laft mentioned Hand lies the Ijle of Bats. 
Dampier fays, this Hand was the Elabitation of an incredible Number of great Bats, with Bodies 
as big as Ducks, or large Fowl, and with vaft Wings * for he faw at Mindanao one of this Sort, 
and judged that the Wings ftretched out in Length could not be lefs than feven or eight Feet 
from Tip to Tip, for it was much more than any of them could fathom with their Arms 
extended to the utmoft. See a farther Account of Bats, Page 180 of this Work. 
