The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-07
GROUP
WINGED MONSTERS.
Gigantic Bats That Infe~t the Phil
ippine Archipelago.
From the New York Times.

ippine Archipelago.
From the New York Times
officers and men of the American
army returning from service in the
Philippines are bringing with them
some curious trophies from those ISL
ands and incidentally relate some
startling tales of the strange animal
and bird life of our new possessions in
the Far East. By far the most start
ling of these tales refer to the bats of
the islands. The variety current in the
Philippines is not the Bat, bat, fly I'M
der my hat" familiar to the American
small boy. They are veritable giants
of the bat world, measuring often flve
feet from wing tip to wing tip Their
bodies are as large as those of foxes
and their heads are not unlike these
animals heads in shape.
The Philippine bats make their homes
in the caves (Which are very plentiful
in the forest districts of the islands,
in large colonies, clinging TO the sides
and roofs of the caves during the day
and coming out in countless hordes
about dusk to feed and indulge in their
aerial stunts.
Many stories are current as to the
effect Of the hrst experience with these
giant bats upon men fresh from the
States. Raw recruits assigned to picket
duty on the outskirts of camp at late
dusk have rushed into quarters white
with terror. Recovering, they would re-
late,amId the suppressed mirth of their
more seasoned fenoW-soldiers. how
some enormous thing tand in these re-
cOuntiugs the bats were often given
credit tor considerable more bulk than
they actually possessed) had come up
on them silently while they were pa
trolling their picket line. Without
sound this 6houlish spectre, with moth
ms about it to signify life but pair
o. extremely bright eyes that shone
out nom the sOmber blanket like
pair o. demon lights, had swoOped so
Clcse to them that they felt the rush
o. air against their faces, some aver
ing that they detected the smell of
sulphur All in al, the thing was
t-ua too uncanny tor them, and their
supelstitious horror had gotten the bet
Ter OF their physical bravery and they
had, unheroiile. fled
Drca52d hN AL
TO the wives OF the American officers
tie si4-t bats Hcre a special dread and
annoyance. At home they had always
Earboted "a creepy dread Of the smaller
winged rodents there that have ten
dency to iatrude in bourdoirs, half-be-
heSiae il the eats' fondness for at
aening themselves to human hair but
TINS could be counteracted on the even
ins stroll hy the affecting OF a ''fasci-
mater" Not SO in tho Philippines. It
ives G4tcgetler tco great a strain on the
in usirat.on to think that this remedy
would suffice 20 shield one from the I'm
welcome curiosity of the winged mon
st6Is that circle the air there.
1t is related that on one occasion one
oi these Giant bats. astray from dts
bearings, penetrated to the dining room
ol the most fashionable hotel in Mani
u at time when the room was crowd
ed with American and European guests
after TIE concerts.
Its appearance in the room, as it fiut-
tered eNcitediy about. attempting to
find an exit, created as much of a STAN
peGe as an EARTHQUAKE or a volcanic
eruption. Women fed in shrieking ter
Tor from the room, lighting and strug-
Cling at the doorways to escape from
the uncanny Intruder, and men rolled
under the tables and sought refuge IN
corners and behind every convenient
Shield. And it was some time (the bat
in the meantime having been captured
by the hotel attendants before quiet
was restored and things had assumed
their wonted gayety.
Tae Caves They Inhabit.
Parties of Americans and Europeans
have visited the caves resorted to by
these slant fruit bats in colony with
the smaller inseStiVorous bats of the
islands. They speak of the sight as in
describable Every available inch of
the space on walls and roof is utilized
by the creatures.
These caves also present a field of
commercial interest that will in all
probabil commend itself to American
capitalists. The guano deposits con-
tanned within these caves have never
been worked. and with the increasing
interest in agriculture in the islands
these exceedingly rich deposits of fer
tlizing material will have great COM
nercial value.
The skins of the giant bats that have
been brought home by American sol
diers are examples of the largest speci-
mems to be obtained in the Philippines.
The skins are very soft, the fur being
as smooth almost as seal, and are of
a brownish color. One skin brought to
the United States by an officer meas
of the wings. and the skin shows the
body must have been fully as large as
that of the domestic cat.
Since the American occupation if has
become quite the thing among devotees
of the shotgun to spend half hour be-
fore absolute darkness ''pegging away"
at the enormous bats with duck shot
and the easiness of the targets makes
the sport productive of great joy and
profit to the native islanders, the bats
meaning both meat and money to them.
they eating the flesh and curing the
skins and selling them to visitors to
the islands.
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