LONG-EARED BAT. 
379 
or in temporary torpor. This species has a slight 
tremulous note hardly amounting to a song, as¬ 
sumed in April. 
The Long-eared Bat _Having had opportunities 
of keeping specimens of the Long-eared Bat in 
confinement, I am enabled to present a few particu¬ 
lars regarding its habits and economy. This species 
is not near as common with us as the other generally 
known kind. It seems partial to holes of walls and 
caves for its retreats, and is not unfrequently found 
amongst parties of the common sort. The animals 
I have possessed would all take food from the hand 
freely as soon as taken under care, and altogether 
exhibited not only freedom, but considerable tenacity 
and resentment. The food I have always given has 
been flies and raw meat chopped small, which last 
was eaten as greedily as though it had been natural 
food. These bits of flesh were swallowed with a 
gulping movement, no doubt in a similar way to 
that in which bats capture and swallow insects, 
but owing I presume to the want of force which 
they would naturally obtain by being on the wing, 
these individuals secured the generality of the flies 
I offered them by a method which I conceive evinced’' 
an apprehension of their escape; the manoeuvre was 
this, the fly was seized by the mouth though some¬ 
what insecurely, the bat then in a moment bent 
its head under its body, drew forward its caudal 
membrane and approximated its wings in a semi- 
expanded state towards its body; whilst this took 
place the bat was seen intently securing its 
prey, which perhaps had escaped its jaws, but 
owing to the envelope formed by its enemy became 
a ready victim. The moment the bat obtains firm 
hold on the fly with his mouth, he gulps it down 
after I believe crushing it once or twice between 
his teeth. Not uncommonly the bat through haste 
and agitation in fastening on his prey, turns com- 
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