The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-10-30
POPULAR SCIENCE.
RATS and Their Y0unE---So..se Facts Not
Generally EHUown


Rat. and Their Youns---So,ae Facts No.
Generally Known.
The October number of the Popular
Science Monthly contains an article by
Prof Burt c. Wilder entitled "bats aud
their young" Beginning his ESSAY BY
remarking that all parts of the world ex-
cepting the colder regions are inhabited
by bats; that there are many kinds of
bats; that they often occur in very large
numbers. and that there are very few
persons. young or old, who have not seen
bat, the writer adds: t'Yet, aside from
professed naturalists, it is equally prob
able that there are still fewer who, from
direct observation, could give any accu-
rate description of their appearance, their
habits, their structure of their relations
with the birds of the air or the beasts
of the EARTH to both of which bats bear
more or less resemblance" Prot. Wilder
thinks that this is not strange. for bats
pass the day in caves and deserted build
ings, and fly about IN pursuit of prev
only in the twilight. Much less rapid
than that of birds, their flight Is so ire
gular as To render il difficult to foii.,S
their course, and in the dusk they are
often mistaken for somewhat eccentric
members of the swallow family" The
very aspect of bats, We are told, Is repui-
slve; they often emit an unpleasant odor:
they breed vermin, which they often
leave bchicd them in houses; thew bite
fierceiy when they are. ca blurred, having
sharp, "almost needfe-like'' eve-teeth.
Bat have rarely beeadomesticated, there
being on ree9F5r Only two instances ofthe
tamjusof 6ats. Prof Wilder caught
De when he was a boy. and he gives the
Glowing aecoant of his somewhat dis
asseable pet:
One of Clr common bats (probablv
either the little brown bat TcsDertIio
subutdtus, or the siittie red bat.'j few
into the house ore evening and was
caught under a hat. 1t queaked and
snapped Its little jaws SO viciously that
all effort, toward closer acquaintance
were rrosponed until morning.
hen uncovered the next dav IL
seemed rs fierce rs before, but less active
in its movements, probably oyerpowered
by the glare of daylight. When touched
its jaws opened wide, the sharp teeth
were exposed, and from its little throat
came the sharp steely clicks so character
istic of our bats. Nor did this fierce
demeanor soften in the least during the
day, and when night approached [ was
about to let it go, but the sight of big
fly on the window suggested an ATTEMPT
to feed the captive. Held by the wings
between the points of a pair of forceps.
the fly had no sooner touched the bats
nose than it was seized, crunched and
swallowed. The rapidity of its disap-
pearGnce accorded with the width to
which the eaters Jaws were opened to
receive it, and, but for the dismal crack
ling of skin AMI wings, reminded one of
the sudden engulfment of beetles bv a
hungry young Robin.
q a second fly weat the same road.
The third was more deliberately mastic-
ated, and | ventured to pat the de-
vourer's head. Instantly ali was changed.
The jaws gaped as if they would separ-
ate, the crushed fly dropped from the
tongue, and the well-known clicks pro-
claimed Il battered and defiance which,
hunger could not subduc nor food an
pease- so at least il seemed, and |
think any but a boy naturalist would
l2ye yielded to the temptation to ling
the splteful creature out of the window.
Perhaps, too, certain obstinacy made
nc unwilling to so easily relinquish the
newly-tormed hope of DEMONSTRATING q
bat. At any rate, another fly presented,
and. ike the former, dropped the mo-
mont my fingers touched the head of the
bat. With a third i waited until the
bat seemed TO be actually swallowing.
and unable to either discontinue that pro-
cess or open its mouth TO any extent.
Its rage and pexplexity were comical
TO behold, and, when the fy was really
down, it seemed to almost burst with the
effort to express its Indignation. But
this did not prevent it from falling into
the same trap a9ain and, to make a long
story short, it finally learned by expe-
rIence that while chewing and swallow
ing were more or less interrupted By
swapping at me, both operations were
quite compatible with my gentle st.Dking
OF its head. And even bat has brains
enough to see the foolishness of loosn,- Il
dinner in order to resent an unsolicited
kindness
&c In 4 few days the bat would take
flies from my fingers; although, either
from eagerness or because blinded by the
Light, it too often nippcd me sharply in
its efforts to seize the victim.
Its vorlsity was almost incredible.
For several weeks it dcvoured at least
fifty house-fies in a day (it was vacation,
and my playmates had to assist mel, and
once disposed of eighty between day
break and sunset
This bat kept for more than two
months. 1t would shuttle across the
table when | entered the room, and lift
up its head for the expected fly. When
travelling it was carried in my breast
pocket.
In the fall it died, either from over
eating or lack of exercise, for dared not
let it out of doors, and it WIS 50 apt to
injure itself in the rooms that | seldom
allowed it to fly.
al should add that it drank frequently
and greedily from the tip of a camcrs-
hair pencil
80 II must Inc admitted Tho ,,-ri.a-