In August several years ago, during a visit to the Indian School at Tuba, in the Painted Desert of northern Arizona, I found these bats living in considerable numbers about the buildings. Just before dark they swarmed out and hunted about the surrounding orchards and small fields. One evening my collector shot at one as it circled over a potato field in a small orchard. It continued its flight, circling low among the apple trees as though unhurt, when suddenly it dropped to the ground. Supposing the bat to be wounded, it was cautiously approached and covered with a hat, when, without a struggle, it permitted itself to be picked up by the nape. It then became evident that the bat was unhurt from the shot. The reason for its sudden descent was revealed in the person of a large, fat mole cricket (_Stenopalmatus fuscus_) which it was holding firmly in its jaws, and so ferociously intent was it in biting and worrying its luscious prey that it paid not the slightest attention to its captor. Finally it was killed by having its chest compressed and died with its bull-dog grip on its prey unbroken. These bats, like the other members of the tribe in the United States, are fully as beneficial to the farmer as the best of our insect-eating birds and deserve equal protection in place of the general persecution from which they now suffer. [Illustration: ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT Kinship with sheep and antelope is reflected in the track of the goat. Its heel-pads are so large and rubber-like that the track is rarely so sharp as here shown. “Although marvelously surefooted and fearless in traversing the faces of high precipitous slopes, goats lack the springy grace and vivacity of mountain sheep and move with comparative deliberation.”] [Illustration: BIGHORN The general style of a bighorn track is like that of deer, but the toes are finished off more squarely and the hollow in the outer edge of each hoof is a strong characteristic. Sometimes the tracks are in correct register. The clouts rarely show. The dung pellets are like those of the deer, but rounder. The track is that of a ewe; the ram’s is similar, but larger.] [Illustration: MOUNTAIN LION, OR COUGAR The track of a mountain lion is much like that of a house cat, differing only in size. Sometimes, as in the cat, the hind foot is set exactly on the track of the front foot.] [Illustration: GRAY WOLF The track is that of a large wolf. There is no certain way of distinguishing it from that of a dog (see page 597). Size and probabilities must be considered.] [Illustration: WHITE-TAILED DEER WALKING The track of the white-tail is ideal--a starting point to study all the tracks. Sometimes the hind foot fits on the front track, but sometimes not.] [Illustration: WHITE-TAILED DEER BOUNDING In these the clouts are clearly shown. Note the resemblance to the tracks of the moose (see page 602), which differ chiefly in their greater size.] [Illustration: WHITE-TAILED DOE WALKING