The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25
"THE FRIED Bat"
A Restaurant or the Future and the Rat Hunter
Who Nishcs TO start u.

One of the quecrcst characters in Paris Is Mat
terhorn. the toad hunter and bat catcher. His
fayorite hunting ground is the great Arcucuil
Aqueduct, forty kilometres long. This Is a reg
ular place OF refuge for bats. which hang by
thousands on the roof OF the long tunnel. dig
ging their sharp claws into its rough outings
and looking for all the world. in the shadows.
like ~fes,oons OF cobwebs. There they are, in col
I on!es Of forty or fifty. cold and still. waiting for
Mattcrhorn to come along with his lantern
and iron box and catch them between his
ready thumb and forefnger. The bats make
slight resistance, being drowsy with sleep, and
in a night Matterhorn often captures a hundred
OF them or more. He sells the bats TO people
who eat them, some from necessity. some from
choice, for those who have tried !: avow that
the flesh Of the bat is delicious. II is red and
omewhat fat, and, fried and served with
chopped parsley. it is said TO equal the finest
venison in flavor.
why should not one cat bats r exclaimed
Matterhorn. The little animal is scrupulOusly
clean, and feeds on nothing but insects, which is
more than can be said OF many animals that are
eaten with a relish. l tell you the bat is a much
illuminated creature, although the number OF
people who realize that is limited
Then l suppose you sell your bats mostly to
those who are very poor T.
Yes, mostly; although there are gourmets
who have have got beyond y% popular prejudice and pay
But you don't live entirely by catching bats,
"iOh. no; I catch all kinds Of animals that other
know how many kinds of animals there are 10
catch right here In Paris. Why. the city is full
OF rabbits, for instance
"What-wild rabbits =
cemeteries, Only last Year two poachers were
caught in the Pere la Chaisc Cemetery, where
they syyo were working y" with guns ms If you please,
stuck to anares and the keepers would never
have got them. In some OF the cemeteries there
are so many rabbit holes that the city ,authori.
ties have had to take measures to get rid Of the
little animals. We'd save them that trouble IL
they'd give us a free hand. Some people don't
pshaw! what's the difference when they'r made
into a savory stewi Besides. who knows what
I'm tell you another thing you will wonder
at. I've shot ducks in Paris-wild ducks-on
When n pinch OF bitter weather comes on they're
driven w, the Seine as far as the city, but are
And gnlls come up the river too-nocks Of them
but It's queer they never go further than the
bridge at the Place de- la Concorde. and l have
always thought IL was because they were afraid
Of the owls in the ruins OF the COur dcs Complies.
There are plenty of owls there all through the
near the abattoirs. And there arc owls in some
OF the old, uninhabitod hotels in the Faubourg
Sainte German. There is one that | have tried
TO catch many a time. that il sole tenant Of an
abandoned estate. 90 Rue dc Eerneuil. That
the neighborhood. SO that children are terrified
and old women, make signs OF the cross as
they hear them
After this Matterhorn went on to talk about
the green lizards which abound in Paris, and
the slowworms to be found TT Montsouris Park
and the Buttes-ChauInont, and he told how no
hunts toads for scientific men and occasionally
hunts rats for sport, but he does not think much
Of rat hunting. Taking II all in all, the bat is
his favoritc quarry, and he said the writer must
come with him out TO the aqucduct some night
after the first frost and watch him Ill his box.
Perhaps wen come across "A white bat" he
said. Il haven't found one In four or five years,
but they're there. Cunning fellows thew are
tho white hats. At the first glimmer OF light
they start up, and fr-r-t!-they are gone. There
Is something uncanny about "A white bat"
MatterhOrn remarked that he hoped to be able
to start a restaurant in a few years which he pro-
posed to call THE Fried Bat"