Thomas Alfred Coward

“ The expanse of the outstretched wings of the noctule reaches 13 or 14 inches, and as it flies before the light has faded, often before the swifts have vanished, it is a conspicuous object against the evening sky. ”

“ The best beloved food was the mealworm; the larva of a beetle; this they preferred to their natural diet of dors, or big-bodied moths. Mealworms can hardly be looked upon as natural food, for the larvæ of beetles cannot come in the way of animals which feed upon the wing; yet it is the food which, once tasted, no bat can resist.
In a very short time my noctules would scuttle across the table to my hand when I offered mealworms, but so frequently did they fix their sharp teeth in my fingers that I began to offer the gift from between forceps. ”

“ Experiments with other bats have satisfied me that the power of vision differs considerably in the various species. The big-eyed, longeared bat certainly seems to see well; the horseshoes, in which the little eye is almost hidden in the fur, certainly see but little. The noctule uses its eyes, but it may be short-sighted. One thing is certain, its hearing is good, and the vibration of an insect's wing may set up notes which it can appreciate when we are unable to hear them. The greatest horseshoe locates its flying prey by hearing, and possibly the noctule does the same. ”

“ The habits of any creature which comes abroad at night or in the half-light of evening are not easy to observe, but so easily does this bat adapt itself to the restraint of captivity that it is strange that so little is known about its ways. ”

“ As Alcock pointed out, "a mammal that rests for six months in the year, that only feeds for one hour a day during the other six, spending this hour in rapid and sustained flight—as great a contrast as can be imagined to its previous condition—certainly presents a very curious picture of animal economy." Alcock was reckoning it as active from April until September, but even allowing for a month or two at either end when the bat comes out occasionally, and for a morning hour of energy, the problem is still acute. ”

“ Bell thought that they were caused, at any rate when the descent was sudden, by the loss of balance if the bat had caught "some large or intractable insect," and Grabham enlarged on the idea and described the noctule using its thumb to tend asunder the prey it was carrying. If the drop is closely observed it will be seen to be not only direct, but oblique; it is a dive, not a fall.
Noctules frequently chase one another on the wing, squeaking vigorously, and almost the whole time that they are abroad they keep up incessant noise. ”

“ It requires no taming process to induce it to feed; it rapidly connects human fingers with the food that they supply, though it does not seem so easily to recognise that the finger itself is inedible. When captured or wounded the noctule bites fiercely, and though its teeth do not make a serious wound they draw blood, for they are exceedingly sharp, and the jaws which can scrunch the hard armour of dor or cockchafer are powerful. For weeks I have kept noctules in a box, releasing them for exercise every evening. ”

“ When any large and powerful insect was seized the bat at once thrust its head under its body, pushing the insect into the bag or pouch between is legs and securing a firmer grip. Upon first seizing the insect the bat raised itself, pressing the forelimbs, the wings, to the ground, and bringing the legs forward so as to increase the capacity of the pouch. ”

“ There is much that we have yet to learn about the mystery of hibernation, and one by one our ancient beliefs, founded apparently on the best evidence, are subjected to rude shocks. Yet, so far as we know at present, the noctule sleeps very soundly in winter, all its energies latent during that period when flying insects are difficult to obtain. ”

“ Directly the bats emerge in the evening they fly straight off to the feeding-ground, a glade in the woods, an open field, or some large sheet of water; the situation varies according to the insects which are the object of the chase, but as time is precious the bat wastes no time in getting to the scene of action. ”

“ The speed of flight varies considerably, but is usually rapid and straight, though varied with occasional dashes from side to side and sharp oblique dives. These erratic movements are, almost certainly, due to the fact that the bat has become aware of an insect at another level or on a lower plane. ”

“ During the winter sleep noctules herd together in hollow trees or in the roofs of buildings, but in summer the diurnal resting-place is usually a hollow tree. The species has been included amongst the cave bats, but the evidence is not altogether satisfactory. Regular cave-haunting bats, as I have proved or endeavoured to prove elsewhere, frequently move and feed in the caves themselves, and, in the West of England, at any rate, go abroad to feed in winter. ”

“ Barrett-Hamilton found no evidence of change in the noctule, but thought it probable that the colour was richest just before hibernation—that is, after the season's activity and constant feeding. Old males, I have always found, are far more golden than immature bats. ”

“ These aged males, at the height of the breeding season, are wonderfully sleek and glossy. Donovan's picture of the noctule was, I hope, drawn from memory; the colour is curious, and it possesses a leaf nose not unlike a vampire, whilst the tragus is depicted as long and pointed instead of short and rounded. Bingley's plate, published in 1809, is far better. The Rev. W. Bingley is little known as an authority on British animals, but of mammals in particular he was a careful observer, deserving a better reputation than he enjoys. At last we can boast good figures of our British bats, for Mr. ”