Page:Bird Haunts and Nature Memories - Thomas Coward (Warne, 1922).pdf/123

Rh the body, pointed forwards; the bent tail thus causes the interfemoral membrane to bag, for this membrane stretches from foot to foot, with the tail in the centre. 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. If the insect was not very strong the head was withdrawn at once and the unfortunate devoured, but a big insect gave trouble, and it might be a second or more before a firm enough grip was secured. The whole movement was quick, and at first we did not realise that it was a normal habit, but there is little doubt that it is what the bat does when on the wing. A moth seized by the wing alone would give trouble in the air, and might easily escape, but if at once thrust into this living net its struggles could be mastered, and the bat could shift its jaws to the body of its prey. Though it is seldom possible to watch this swift action in the flying bat, there are times when we see it dip its head in the air.

When feeding the motion of the bat's jaws is exceedingly rapid, and the crunching of the hard beetle elytra may be heard as the noctule passes overhead. The process of devouring a beetle is more interesting than pleasant to watch, for though the strong jaws move quickly the insect passes but slowly down the throat; its still undevoured limbs twitch long after much of the body is no more. Bingley noticed this habit of pouching food in a small bat, to which he had given a flesh-fly: "The animal, raising itself higher than usual on its fore-legs, bent its head with great dexterity under its belly, and forced the insect into its month, by thrusting it, from side to side, against that part of the membrane which extended betwixt the two