prey. When thus engaged, the
Noctule haunts the neighborhood of trees, and generally flies at a
considerable elevation, from which, however, his shrill cry easily
reaches the ear of the passer-by. His addiction to large prey gives
rise to a curious movement, thus noticed by Professor Bell in his
valuable book on "British Quadrupeds." "An observer will not watch his
movements long," says the Professor, "without noticing a manoeuvre
which at first looks--like the falling of a tumbler-pigeon, but on
closer examination proves to be simply a closing of the wings, and a
consequent drop of about a foot. Sometimes, this is repeated every few
yards, as long as in sight. It is occasioned by some large and
intractable insect having been captured, and the anterior joint of the
wing, with its well-armed thumb, is required in retaining it until
masticated." Notwithstanding this little difficulty, however, the
Noctule is pretty rapid in disposing even of his most recusant prey,
as he has been known to consume as many as thirteen cockchafers one
after another.

The foregoing statements apply to all our British Bats, and indeed, in
the matter of food and general habits, to the great majority of the
species of the order, in whatever country they may occur. But in the
tropical and sub-tropical regions of the eastern hemisphere, we find a
great and important group of Bats, which, although agreeing in general
structure and habits with our European species, differ from them
altogether in their diet. These Bats, distinguished generally, among
other things, by their larger size and more robust construction, and
by certain characters of the molar teeth (grinders), from the ordinary
Bats, are almost exclusively confined to a fruit diet, in search of
which they fly vigorously, often in flocks, like birds, at the
commencement of the night. From this peculiarity of their food they
are commonly known as Fruit Bats, while the larger species, such as
the Indian Fruit Bat and the Kalong of the Eastern Archipelago, which
are respectively eleven and fourteen inches in length, are sometimes
called Flying Foxes, in allusion to the prevalence of a reddish tint
in their fur, and their more or less lengthened and dog-like muzzles.
In many parts of the Eastern world, in India, the Malayan Archipelago,
Australia, Africa, and even in outlying islands at some distance from
their main range, these Fruit Bats occur in great numbers. Swarms of
them roost together