IN FEATHERS AND FUR. 29 
would eat it; but they had much fun catching the flies that came 
to taste the meat. The moment a foolish blue-bottle showed his 
head in the cage, a Bat would pounce on him and swallow him 
whole. 
There have been many foolish superstitions about this 
innocent little animal. His ways are so odd and mysterious that 
the ancients, who thought everything they couldn't understand 
must be unnatural, had all sorts of ill omens associated with him. 
But, in spite of superstition and prejudice, there are some 
good things about the Bat. For one thing, it is very neat, keeping 
its fur clean and expending a great deal of time in the operation. 
Then it makes itself useful in eating so many thousands of 
insects. Sixty or seventy as large as a fly are not more than 
enough for a meal. 
In Siam and Madagascar, Bats are eaten, and said to be very 
nice, tasting like young chicken or rabbit. In those countries they 
are found as large as hens, and even larger. 
