THE LIVING WORLD. 
457 
AMERICAN BAT (Vespertilio murinus 
'which the farmer assumes when, “ having sold a load of wheat, he takes with 
lim too heavy a load of old rye.” An Indian species ( Cynopterus marginatus) 
are specially destructive to orchards, and, as they will travel forty miles in 
a single night, it is difficult to 
exterminate them. The insect or 
carnivorous bats , however, are the 
more numerous. 
The Horse-shoe Nose Bat 
{Rhino nycteris ferrum equinum ) 
seems to feed upon beetles and 
to seek “ the dark, unfathomed 
caves of ocean ” in their hatred 
of the light. Its wing covers an 
expanse of a foot and a quarter, 
so that its size might terrify even 
•though we are not prejudiced 
against the family. 
The Lyre-like Bat {Mega¬ 
derma lyra) is a blood-sucker, for 
which office the conformation of 
its snout qualifies it. It has been 
inowii to seize a smaller bat of 
a different species and after sucking its blood, to then proceed to devour every¬ 
thing but the bones and head. To these smaller bats the nursery fables of 
ogres are only too true, and 
unfortunately for their 
comfort the ogres are only 
too numerous. One is 
made to think of Ulysses 
and his companion in the 
care of Outis and of his 
superior good fortune in be¬ 
ing able to escape the dread¬ 
ful fate which threatened 
him. 
The Red Bat {Atalal- 
apha noveboracensis ) is ex¬ 
ceedingly common in the 
Atlantic States, and disturbs 
one’s comfort by invading 
the sanctity of one’s domi¬ 
cile though simply in pur¬ 
suit of the insects attracted 
by the lamplight. It is 
harmless unless attacked, 
when it is both pugnacious 
and able to inflict slight 
hut painful wounds. When excited to anger it is not contented with action, but 
like a human being raises its shrill voice, not believing that “ words to the heat 
THE NYCTURUS OF UPPER EGYPT. 
