. The popular natural history . Zoology. THE LOMG EARED BAT. 37. LONG-EARED BAT.—{Pleistus Communis.) and in every case have been awarded for the trouble by the curious little traits of temper and disposition which have been exhibited. One of my Bat favourites was captured under rather peculiar cir- cumstances. It had entered a grocer's shop, and to the consternation of the grocer and his assistant had got among the sugar loaves which were piled on an upper shelf. So terrible a foe as the Bat (nearly two inches long) put to rout their united forces, and beyond poking at it with a broom as it c
. The popular natural history . Zoology. THE LOMG EARED BAT. 37. LONG-EARED BAT.—{Pleistus Communis.) and in every case have been awarded for the trouble by the curious little traits of temper and disposition which have been exhibited. One of my Bat favourites was captured under rather peculiar cir- cumstances. It had entered a grocer's shop, and to the consternation of the grocer and his assistant had got among the sugar loaves which were piled on an upper shelf. So terrible a foe as the Bat (nearly two inches long) put to rout their united forces, and beyond poking at it with a broom as it cowered behind the sugar, no attempts were made to dislodge it. At tliis junc- ture my aid was invoked ; and I accordingly drew the Bat from its hiding-place. It did its best to bite, but its tiny teeth could do no damage even to a sensitive skin. The Bat was then placed in an empty mouse-cage, and soon be- came sufficiently familiar to eat and drink under observation. It would never eat flies, although many of these insects were offered, and seemed to prefer small bits of raw beef to any other food. It was a troublesome animal to feed, for it would not touch the meat unless it were freshly cut and quite moist ; forcing me to prepare morsels fit for its dainty maw six or seven times daily. It spent the day at the top or on the side of its cage, being suspended by its hinder claws, and would occasionally descend from its eminence in order to feed or to drink. While eating, it was accustomed to lower itself from th'; cage roof, and to crawl along the floor until it reached the piece of meat. The wings were then thrown forward so as to envelop the food, and under the shelter of its wings the Bat would drop its head over the meat and then consume it. On account of the sharp surface of its teeth, it could not eat its food quietly, but was forced to make a series of pecking bites, something like the action of a cat in similar circumstances. It would drink in several ways, some- time
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
