12 
The Animal-Lore of JShakspeare’s Time. 
In 1626 Sir Thomas Herbert accompanied Sir Dodmore 
Cotton in an embassage to the Shah of Persia, and was 
so delighted with the strange scenes he witnessed in that 
country that he extended his visit, and spent four years 
in exploring the southern portion of Asia and part of 
Africa. On his return he published his travels. He is 
an amusing writer, and gives some lively descriptions of 
the curious sights he witnessed, and the difficulties he met 
with. In his account of certain strange creatures found 
in the island of Mauritius, he writes:— 
“ Bats are here in great numbers; but if my stomach deceive me 
not, worse meat cannot be tasted: a fierce ill-favour’d carrion, ever 
squeeking, and in offensive noise calling to one another, make bad 
melody. This is the onely four-footed beast that’s volant, and there¬ 
fore whether more properly to be rankt amongst birds or beasts, as 
yet undecided. . . . Bats, flying-fish and seals be participles of nature 
and species of a doubtful kind, participating both of bird and beast: 
these vespertilios, a large foot in length, hang in swarms upon the 
boughs of trees, by claws two inches long, fixed at the extream part of 
their wings, which are above twenty inches in length, their monkey 
faces in that posture ever turning downwards.” (Travels, p. 385.) 
The worthy knight was somewhat of an epicure, as 
appears from his constantly expressed opinion as to the 
flavour of the new dishes he was compelled by necessity 
to investigate, but he may be excused in this instance 
for not relishing his repast. 
Sir Francis Drake, in his voyage into the South Seas, 
1577 {Hakluyt, vol. iv. p. 244), finds, in an island south¬ 
ward of Celebes, a wonderful store of bats as big as large 
hens. 
Bats were given to hawks as a remedy for certain 
maladies. 
Of insect-eating animals, which are placed by modern 
naturalists next in order to the bats, only three 
Hedg-ehOfe,. re p resen ^ a ^ ves appear to have been known 
to our mediaeval ancestors, the hedgehog, mole, and shrew. 
