TAME BATS. 
THE Bat is a harmless little ani- 
mal, but I doubt if many of us 
would care to have a number of 
them flying around. The hotter the 
climate the more Bats you will find. 
As evening draws nigh, even in Italy, 
Greece, and Spain, out of their nooks 
and corners thousands of them fly, 
fluttering over the fields, through the 
gardens and streets of the town, 
through houses and rooms. 
People get used to them there, and 
when awakened by the noise of their 
wings will get up, chase them from the 
room with a stick, and though aware 
they will return again when all is quiet, 
lie down again and go to sleep. 
You would scarcely think to look at 
these lively little animals that they 
could be tamed and become strongly 
attached to their masters, would you? 
But indeed they are very intelligent 
and many naturalists have made pets 
of them, training them to take food 
from their hands or search for it in a 
glass. They will follow the one they 
love all over the house, and show 
themselves very amiable and sensible, 
too. 
One cold spring morning a lady with 
a sympathetic heart — a true Christian 
lady I should judge, since she loved all 
things "both great and small" — saw a 
boy tossing in the air a little animal 
which she took to be a Mouse. Even 
so insignificant a creature should not 
be needlessly tortured, so she went at 
once to its rescue. Instead of a Mouse 
she found it to be a Bat, half-dead 
from cold and fright. With tender 
hands she placed it upon some cotton 
in the bottom of a basket and set it 
near the fire. Many times she peeped 
into the basket and was at length de- 
lighted to see the little creature hang- 
ing bat-fashion on the side of the bas- 
ket, its keen, bright eyes watching 
every movement. One of its feet she 
found was crushed. With trembling 
hands she severed the bit of skin by 
which it hung, and applied some heal- 
ing salve to the wound. The poor lit- 
tle creature suffered too much to taste 
food, but after a few days accepted a 
Fly from her hands, then a bit of meat, 
after which it folded its wings to sig- 
nify it had enough. 
The Bat alt length became as tame as 
a Mouse and would hang itself to any 
convenient portion of its mistress' 
dress; would eat whatever of animal 
food she gave it, and lick milk off her 
fingers. At night it would settle upon 
her hair, but never went near other 
members of the family; would fly about 
the room, and go out of- the window in 
search of insects, returning in a couple 
of hours, and if the window was closed 
hang to the window-sill, or to the sash, 
until admitted. Thus it lived for two 
years, a happy, contented Bat, till one 
night it flew out and never returned — 
a prey probably to some White Owls 
who for years had made their home 
in an old belfry near by. 
