New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-04

Il quote the following from 'Cassell' S
Natural History:
He blinded these animals, sometimes
by burning the eyes with redhot wire
sometimes by removing the organs alto
gether, and even filling up the orbits with
wax, and then allowed them to fly. In
spite OF the mutilation, the unfortunate
little creatures continued quite lively, and
few about as well as those which still re-
tained their eyes; they did not strike
against the walls Of the room, or the OBJ
jects in II. avoided a stick held up before
them, and showed greater desire TO keep
out Of the way OF cat or the hand oil
man than to escape contact with mani
mate objects
one Of these blinded bats was set
free in long underground passage, which
turned at right angles about It's middle
II flew through the two branches or TINS
passage. and turned without approaching
the side walls. During its flight 1t de-
tected a small cavity in the roof at
distance of eighteen inches. and imme-
diately changed its course in order 10
conceal Itself in this retreat. In a gar
den a sort Of cage was prepared. with
nets, and from its top sixteen strings
were allowed to hang down.
Two bats were introduced into this
Enclosure, one blinded, the other with us
eyes perfect Both flew about freely
never touching the strings with more
than the tips OF the wings Finally, the
blind bat discovered that the meshes OF
the inclosing net were large enough FOR
It TO get through, and made It's escape
and after flying about for time, mace
its way rapidly and directly 10 the only
roof in the neighborhood, in which 1t dis
appeared.
"Tn d room containing numerous
branches of trees, or in which SILK
threads. stretched by small weights were
suspended from the ceiling, the bats
though blinded, avoided all these OBJ
staces: and when. after firing themselves
with their aerial evolutions. they settled
on some object for the sake of rest, they
would Immediately rise again on an at
tempt being made to seize them with the
hand
From these experiments II was per-
fectly clear that in threading the gal
leries of caverns and other narrow ana
pitch dark places TO which bats COM
monty resort for their diurnal repose'
these animals were guided by some other
sense than that of sight, and the worthy
able set himself to ascertain what this
sense might be.
HE commenced operations by cover
ing the body OF one Of his blind bats
with varnsh. and found that this had no
effect in rendering its movements uncer-
tain He then stopped up the ears with
wax, and finally with melted sealing wax
and still the bats obstinately persisted In
avoiding obstacles placed in their way.
Consequently they did not hear their
way In the dark. There remained the
sense OF smell and taste. To test the for
mer the nostrils were stuffed up, but the
only effect Of this operation was to
bring the creature speedily TO the ground,
owing TO the difficulty Of breathing. Lit
tie fragments Of sponge imprognatcd with
musk, camphor. or storax were fastened
In front OF the nostrils, and then the
bats flew about as freely as ever, and
showed the same power Of avoiding con-
tact with objects In their path. The re-
moval Of the tongue, as might be expect
ed, produced no result.