LONG-EARED BAT. 
381 
irritated them, so that there seems little reason to 
doubt that the use of this highly sensitive apparatus 
is to apprize the animals of the presence of insects, 
and partly also to entangle and detain them. Those 
hairs also situated on the interior of the ears, will 
be of use in preventing the ingress of offending 
bodies, and may possibly possess that exquisite 
sensibility which informs the creatures of the adja¬ 
cency of passing insects and bodies in general not 
perceived through the eye-sight. When these bats 
slept, they provided against intrusion of foreign 
bodies, and the disturbance which would result 
to them in their repose if the large sensitive surface 
of these ears continued expanded, by folding them 
neatly down over the orifice of the ear, and confining 
them in that place by bringing forward and over 
them, their folded anterior members. Occasionally 
they would withdraw but one ear, as if desirous of 
exercising some caution during sleep, and if the 
still expanded ear were now touched, the bat would 
either fold it down like the other, or else start up 
and prepare to seize the offending substance. 
The eyesight of bats is doubtlessly extremely 
perfect during night. *One of my captives found 
his way into the air by going up a chimney at night, 
and another I lost by its going out through a hole 
in a broken pane of glass. According to Mr. Bingley, 
there is something very remarkable in their eyes, 
for they might be touched with a pen, and yet no 
notice be taken of it. We might reasonably ima¬ 
gine that daylight should ill suit them, though many 
nocturnal creatures do manage at some certain 
times to venture forth during day. The White Owl 
I have several times seen abroad in daylight, and 
is often out in evenings long before the bats come 
forth. But strong lights by their dazzling power, 
distract both Owls and Bats, and the latter are 
commonly captured in summer evenings in bedrooms 
