New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-08
At TIE MOUTH or a TEXTS BAT CAVE.

From, Letter 10 The Boston Transcript .
Western Texas abounds IN bats, ana the collecti,s
and shipping of bat-guanO" bids fair 10 DO one OF
the prominent industries Of the State. About
twenty miles north of San Antonio Is one Of these
bat caves The shaft Is nsed only IOr holSthR out
the guanO the entrance both for man and bat is NJ
the natural portal in the centre OF an oak grove;
In spite of the Odor and the pnngent ammonia
climbed half way down the Incline, but the crea1
tures looked so uncanny upon near approach tAaI
| was fain to to beat retreat, ana stdtlonlnS my
self on a smooth rock directly over The entrance.
awaited as patiently as possible the time when tncy
should see fit 10 come out. Suddenly was aware
of bat gyratng around the bottom OF the PIT IN an
irresolute, indefinite but extremely rapid hight.
And lol instead of there were three OF them
crossing and recrossing each Others TRACKS ana
then as quick a wink the PIT was full OF tnein.
stream of them was pouring from the archWay
into the bowl like stream of water from slulce-
way opening into the bottom OF tank, and Ike 10
they swlr.ed around and around in rapid whrl-
pool from left to right crOwdng 50 closely tnaI they
hid the rocks the opposite side, flooding the pit
higher and higher until they reached the Dim,
when they overlooked 1T point just above where
was sitting, and poured of between two trees
Such n ioliy crowd as they were, NJ room tuli of
school-bOys Just let loose were ever hall 80 glad Oh
their liberty! Their curious pg-Shapcd noses
seemed TO sniii gcelully at the fresh evening air,
and though could not see their eyes, their wings
seemed to wink ut me as they went by Everybody
knows that bat never can fly straight even IN ms
sedatest moments, but these were simply uproar
ious They wabbcd and staggered as II tiISY, they
rceiod from side to side first one wing uppermcst
abont like unskilled performers upon the slack
ropc Al first | was afraid lest some clumsy one
m gbt STRIKE me in the face, but very soon saw
that | was in no danger Tor however erratlc their
motions they managed TO avoid each other IN spite
of the fact that there at least three Dats TO
every cubic foot OF space IN column tullI thirty
feet in diameter, aud all in rapid notion Possibly
they mstOOk me for stump, Tor, thongh rs the
column swaycd from side TO side was At lines IN
the very thick oi them. none of them 80 much as
praZcd me- The head of the column led OH duc
east and the rest followed in n straight line, though
the individual members acted on the principle OF
diversity in unity for they never retained their
relative positions for n moment, but snarIed them
selves I'D necessarily. while single ones, cTaLlcr
than their fe lows, turned two or tliee sOnersaulS
ON their own hook aud even then were 81 ;ted back
into the current and swept on by II. lie whlrr OF
their MYRIAD wings was tremendous. Nothing Is
more nOisciess than the flight of a single bat as he
declines TO come into the hat of the Eng
land boy but the beating Of these thousand wings
was like the roar OF tempest! They MADE no
OtheT sound, their shrill sque1kng being huSheu rs
they came out of the cave. IL was exactly 40
o'clock when the first bat appeared; and ten min.
uteS later when turned to watch the direction or
their flight the head of the column WAS lost IN the
distance. The superintendent told mo often, when
they have come out early. he has marked the col
umn for fully ten miles still keeping together ana
all healing IN one direction. Even with powerful
field glass he has never been able to perceive any
deviation from the direction, whatever 1t may be,
that they take at starting. Darkness descended
while | watched the stream rs, with undlmlnished
volume it poured ont of the archway swlrlcd
around. and flowed eastward. At nine o'clock the
noise of their wings strong a. ever but to-
ward ten, when | went out for the last time, the
stream seemed nearly run out, and there were
breaks when the wslirring ceased, and then 1t
would start up again as Il swarm OF Debated ones