The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-02
CHARACTERISTICS OF BATS.
As They Are studied at the New
York Zoo.


York Zoo.
c. w. Bebee in New York Tribune .
Probably the knowledge of bats
which most of us possess is derived
chiefly from the imaginations of arr
lists and poets. who. unlike the Chi
nese, do not look upon these creatures
with much favor, and generally SYM
bolize them in connection with pictures
and passages which relate to the re-
syions Internal. But this is entirely I'M
Just Their nocturnal habits and our
consequent ignorance of their charac-
teristics are the only causes which can
account for their being associated with
the realm of satan.
In our museums We see bats stuffed
and mounted on sheets of plate glass,
and, although we may learn much from
examining these, yet the best place to
watch these curious creatures is the
montey house of the New York Zoolog-
ical Park, where there is a cageful of
eight large Indian fruit bats. This
little colony of inverted life which at
first glace brings to mind some of the
experiences of "Gulliver's Travels" will
teach us many things of interest if we
watch the members of it a few min
utes.-
In some places bats are called filter
mice, but they are more nearly related
to moIes, shrews and other insect eat
ers than to rats and mice. If we look
at the skeleton of an animal which
walks or hops we will notice that it's
hind limbs are much the stronger, and
the girdle which connects these with
the backbone is composed of strong
and heavy bones. In bats a reverse
condition is found, the pectoral girdle,
or bones corresponding to our collar
bones, etc, are greatly developed. This,
as in birds, is, of course, an adaptation
to give surface for the attachment of
the great propelling muscles. Although
the hand of the bat is so strangely al
tered, yet, as we will see If we look at
one of the living specimens, it has five
fingers, as we have, four of which are
very long and thin, and the webs, of
which we have a very noticeable trace
in our hands, stretch from finger to
finger and to the body, and even down
each leg, ending squarely near the
ankle, thus giving the creature an alb
surd look of having on a very broad,
baggy pair of trousers.
One of the fruit bats soon starts on
tour of inspection of his cage. A hor-
izontal ladder like a series of small
round sticks forms his tramping
ground. He steps from one to another
rapidly, hooking on sometimes with
all five toes, but generally with four
or three. There seems to be little
power in these toes except of remaining
bent in a hooked position; for when
our bat stops and draws up one foot
to scratch his head the claws are
merely jerked through the fur by mo-
tons of the whole leg, not by individ-
ual movements of the separate toes. In
this motion we notice, for the first
time, that the legs and feet grow in
kind of spread eagle" position, max
ing the knees point backward in the
same direction as the elbows.
We must stop a moment to admire
the beautiful, soft fur, a golden brown
in color, with part of the back nearly
black. The tiny, inverted face is very
attractive, the large, brown eyes not
seeming much disconnected by the
daylight, although the small, moist
nostralls, continually wrinkling and
shifting, show how much thcsr owner
depends on them for information. If
we move suddenly up closer to the
wires, the bat nearest us opens both
wings, owl-like, in a threatening man
ner; but if we make still more hostile
motions the creature retreats as hastily
as it can, changing its method of prog
ress to an al-fours', slothlike gait,
the long free thumb of each hand
grasping stick after stick and doing
lowing passively.
When at what he judges a safe dts
tance he again hangs pendent, bend
ing his head back to look earnestly
at us. Soon the half-opened wings are
closed and brought close to the shoul-
ders, and in this, the usual resting
position, the large claws of the thumb
rest on the breast in little burrows
which they have worn in the fur.
Soon drowsiness comes on and a long,
elaborate yawn is given, showing the
many small, needle-like teeth and
surprising length. Then comes the
most curious process of all. Drawing
up one leg, the little creature deliber-
ately wraps one hand with it's cling
ing web around the leg and under the
arms and then draws the other wing
straight across the body, holds it
there a moment while he takes a last
look in all directions; then, lifting it's
fingers slightly, it bends it's head and
wraps all in the fur spread web. 1t
is most ludicrously like tragedian
acting the death scene in Julius Gaze
Sar," and it loses nothing in repeti-
ton, for each time the little animals
thus draw their winding togas about
them one is forced to smile as he thinks
of the absurd resemblance.
Many other interesting traits besides
those we have noticed can be studied
In this cage of bats, but we have, at
least, learned to repect them more and
to realize that they do not deserve the
calumny which has been heaped upon
them.
If we read of the habits of these In
dian bats in a wild state we will find
much to admire. The young bat dur
ing the period of helpless infancy clings
tightly to the body of the mother, ac-
companying her thus on all her flights.
The father too, shows great affection
in caring for his family. When two
young are born at a birth he will some
times assume the whole duty of rear
ing one Of them.
1t must be admitted, however, that
these bats at times commit great havoc
among banana and pear groves. being
able to eat an enormous amount of
fruit at one time. They are said to
travel thirty or forty miles a single
night to some favorite feeding ground.