. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. THE 299 Las been taken from a hole in the thatch of a low shed in a brick-fiekl. another from a pile of hurdles in a stackyard, whilst a thiid was observed iasuing from the spout of a disused wooden pump, and one was captured from behind a piece of loose bark on a pollard willow near Stratford-on-Avon.* The Pipistrelle is thus rather indiscriminate in its choice of a residence, and this may perhaps be due to the fiu-t that its period of winter torpidity is shorter than that of any other species found in the countries wliich it fr
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. THE 299 Las been taken from a hole in the thatch of a low shed in a brick-fiekl. another from a pile of hurdles in a stackyard, whilst a thiid was observed iasuing from the spout of a disused wooden pump, and one was captured from behind a piece of loose bark on a pollard willow near Stratford-on-Avon.* The Pipistrelle is thus rather indiscriminate in its choice of a residence, and this may perhaps be due to the fiu-t that its period of winter torpidity is shorter than that of any other species found in the countries wliich it frequents. In Great Britain it appears on the wing as early as the middle of March, and does not retire for its annual sleep until the winter season has decidedly set in; indeed, Mr. Gould once shot a specimen in the middle of a bright simny day just before Christmas. Its food consists principally of small insects, especially Gnats, Midges, and other small two-winged flies, but it does not confine itself exclusively to such diet; raw meat possesses such attractions for it that this Bat not unfrequently makes its way into places where this is kept, and may be found clinging to a joint, and making a hearty meal upon it. In confinement, also, the Pipistrelle readily takes small pieces of raw meat as a substitute foi- its ordinary insect food, and it will become so tame as to take its nourishment from the fingers. On ths ground the Pipistrelle runs with considerable ease and quickness, and Mr. Bell states, in opposition to the assertions of certain writers, that it can rise from a flat surface without difficulty. He says:â" We have often seen the Pipistrelle rise from a plane surface with a sort of spring, instantly expand its wings, and take flight. This was i-epeated by a single individual several times in the courae of an hour, and without the slightest appearance of difficulty or efibrt; it was, on the contrary, evidently a natural and usual ; The same writer re
Size: 1930px × 1295px
Photo credit: © Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjecta, booksubjectanimals
