Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-03-14
Bate.

A naturalist in the Newcastle Chroni.
Gle drew many interesting particulars Of
this repulsive but singular animal: Ac.
cording to Goldsmith's Animated Ma
ture, the bat in scarcely any particular
resembles the bird, except in its power
of sustaining itself in the air. It brings
forth its young alive it suckles them |;
its lungs are formed like those of quad
rupeds /; its intestines and its skeleton
have q complete resemblance, and even
are, in some measure, seen to resemble
those of mankind. The bat most COM
mon in England is about the size of
mouse, or nearly two inches and half
long. The membranes that are usually
called wings are, properly speaking, an
extension of the skin all round the
body, except the head, which, when the
animal flies, is kept stretched on every
side by the four interior toes of the
fore feet, which are enormously long,
and serve like masts that keep the can
vas of sail spread, and regulate its
motion. The first toe is quite loose, and
serves as heel when the bat walks or
as hook when it would adhere to any
thing. The hind feet are disengaged
from the surrounding skin, and divided
into five toes, somewhat resembling
those of q mouse. The skin by which
it flies is of dusky color. The body
is covered with short fur, of a mouse
color, tinged with red. The eyes are
very small and the ears like those of
mouse. 1t makes its appearance early
in summer, and begins it's flight in the
dusk of the evening. 1t principally
frequents the sides of woods and shady
walks, and it is frequently observed to
skim along the surface of pieces OF
water. 1t pursues gnats, moths and
nocturnal insects of every kind. 1t APP
pears only in the most pleasant evenings,
when its prey is generally abroad, and
flies in pursuit with its mouth open. At
other times it continues in its retreat,
the chink of o ruined building, or the
hollow of tree. Thus this little ami
NAL, even in summer, sleeps the greater
part of its time, never venturing out by
daylight nor in rainy weather. But its
short life is still more abridged by con-
tinuing i'll torpid state during the win
ter. At the approach of the cold sea
son the bat prepares for its state OF life
less inactivity, and seems rather to
choose place where it may continue
safe from interruption than where it
may be warmly or conveniently lodged.
For this reason it is usually seen hang
ing by its hooked claws to the roofs of
caves, regardless of the eternal damps
that surround it. The bat couples and
brings forth in summer, generally from
two to five at time. The female has
but two nipples, ana those forward on
the breast, as in the human kind. She
makes no nest, but is content with the
first hole she meets, where, sticking
herself by her hooks against the sides
of her apartment, She permits her young
to hang at the nipple, and in this man
ner to continue for the first or second
day. When, after some time, the dam
begins to grow hungry, and finds me-
cessity of stirring abroad, she takes her
little ones and sticks them to the walls,
in the manner she before hung herself |;
there they immovably cling and pa
tiently await her return. The varieties
of this animal in our country are but
few. Naturalists mention the long eared
bat much less than that generally seen !;
and with much longer ears, the horse
shoe bat, with an odd protuberance
round its upper lip, somewhat in the
form of a horseshoe the rhinoceros
bat, with horn growing from the nose,
somewhat similar to that animal from
whence it has its name.