One of Æsop’s Fables--Opinions of the Ancients regarding Bats--Scaliger’s Statement of the Puzzle--Opinions of the Middle Ages--The True Position of the Bats--The Wing of the Bat--General Structure: The Breast-bone, Arms, Fingers, “Wing-membrane,” Wings, Skull, Ribs, Pelvis, Legs--In Repose--Walking--The Teats--Organs of the Senses--“Blind as a Bat”--The Eyes--Spallanzani’s Experiments--The Bat’s Power of Directing its Flight in the Darkest Places--Their Food--In Winter-Quarters--A Battue of Bats--FRUGIVOROUS AND INSECTIVOROUS BATS 259 CHAPTER II. SUB-ORDER I.--MEGACHIROPTERA, OR LARGE BATS. PTEROPIDÆ, OR FRUIT-EATING BATS. Characteristics of Fruit-eating Bats--Distribution--Diet--Flying Fox of Ceylon: its Habits, as described by Sir E. Tennent--The Flight of the _Pteropidæ_--Known to the Ancients--The Fruit Bats in the Zoological Gardens--INDIAN FLYING FOX--Diet--Dissipated Habits--GREAT KALONG--Linnæus’s Description--In their Dormitories--NICOBAR, MANED, JAPANESE, AND GREY FRUIT BATS--GREY-HEADED FRUIT BAT--GOULD’S FRUIT BAT--ROUSSETTE--EGYPTIAN FRUIT BAT--HOTTENTOT FRUIT BAT--MARITIME FRUIT BAT--MARGINED FRUIT BAT--WHITE’S FRUIT BAT--HAMMER-HEADED BAT--HARPY BAT--GREATER HARPY BAT--CLOAKED FRUIT BAT--DWARF LONG-TONGUED FRUIT BAT--BLACK-CHEEKED FRUIT BAT--FIJIAN LONG-TONGUED FRUIT BAT 266 CHAPTER III. SUB-ORDER II.--MICROCHIROPTERA, OR INSECTIVOROUS BATS. HORSESHOE BATS AND MEGADERMS. INSECTIVOROUS BATS--Mr. Dobson’s Objection to the Name--Characteristics--Nasal Appendages--THE VESPERTILIONINE AND EMBALLONURINE ALLIANCES--The Fur in the two Alliances--THE HORSESHOE BATS--General Characteristics--Distribution--Diet--Carnivorous Propensities--GREATER HORSESHOE BAT--General Appearance--“Nose Leaves”--Habitat--THE LESSER HORSESHOE BAT--Habitat--THE MOURNING HORSESHOE BAT--THE AUSTRALIAN HORSESHOE BAT--THE ORANGE BAT--PHYLLORHINÆ--THE DIADEM BAT--Character of their “Nose Leaves”--Captain Hutton’s Account of their Habits--THE PERSIAN TRIDENT BAT--THE MEGADERMS--THE LYRE BAT--Characteristics--Called Vampire by Europeans in India--Mr. Blyth’s Account of a Megaderm’s Blood-thirstiness--THE CORDATE LEAF BAT--THE AFRICAN MEGADERM--THE DESERT BAT 279 CHAPTER IV. VESPERTILIONIDÆ, OR TRUE BATS.