380 
LONG-EARED BAT. 
pletely over on his back, but still by keeping his 
membranes closed, he never fails to attain his end. 
At those times indeed when I presented these bats 
with large blue flies, they found greater difficulty 
in getting effectual hold on them, and before this 
could be done, the captive insect would on some 
occasions escape into the space between the bat’s 
wings and tail, but here after a slight scuffle, and 
after the bats had drawn their membranes still 
closer together, the victims would be seized on and 
devoured. This provision for securing their prey 
Mr. White describes as a “ hovering,” a term quite 
objectionable. Whether this act occurs at times 
while bats are feeding on the wing I know not. 
Mr. Bingley remarked the same action here described 
in the Common Bat, but his explanation and re¬ 
marks on it somewhat differ from the above. 
Mr.White in speaking of a tame bat says, it clipped 
off the wings of insects offered to it, but I really 
believe this must have been fortuitous. I have not 
seen this act performed more than three or four times, 
and I am persuaded there was no positive dislike 
to these parts, for as often as I presented my bats 
with these members, which I had myself removed 
from flies, they w T ere seized and swallowed. Indeed 
I see no reason why bats should reject wings, since 
they are found in plenty in birds which feed similarly 
to the genus vespertilio. 
My bats w ould lap w r ater from the palm of my 
hand, and I remarked they threw back the head to 
swallow their draughts in a manner like birds. 
While feeding them in the day-time they seldom 
opened their eyes, but they w'ere instantly apprised 
of the proximity of substances by their simple, and 
slightest contact with any of the long, stiff hairs 
around the mouth, and about the ears. In this w ay, 
by touching these bristles, the bats would make 
sudden springs, and seize the substance which had 
