When I discovered the bat he was hanging by his hind feet, head downward
between the blind and the window. I could not see him breathe and
thought he must be dead, but he was only sleeping.
We closed the shutters of the blind as softly as we could, but it awoke
him, and he began to wiggle and twist. He could not get away and we
lowered the window from the top and grabbed the little fellow.
How he did scold and snap his jaws together! His little teeth were sharp
and he tried his best to bite us.
We put him in a box and put a piece of coarse wire netting over the top.
Mr. Bat did not enjoy being made a prisoner, and did not quiet down
until he found he could hang head downward from the netting.
He was quite a pretty little animal, his body being about two inches
long, with soft, thick, reddish brown fur on its upper and under part
and on his head. His eyes were small and dark, and his head looked like
a tiny bear’s, but there was no hair on his ears.
His wings also were without hair and nearly black in color. When hanging
by his hind legs he kept his wings folded tightly against his body.
The bat’s hind feet were very small, having five tiny toes with the
smallest possible nails. By having one toe around the wire of the
netting he could hold himself suspended in the air.
The little fellow’s mode of walking on the bottom of the box was very
awkward. He would thrust forth the claw at the end of one of his wings
and hook it into the box, then advance the hind foot and tumble forward,
repeating the process with the opposite side, thus tumbling and
staggering along, falling first to one side, then to the other.
If he wanted to hang from the netting he would reach up a hind foot and
gain a foothold in the side of the box, then raise the other, thus
climbing backwards until he could clasp the netting.
In the evening the bat got out of the box and was flying about the room
before we knew he had escaped. He flew round and round in a circle,
sometimes striking the walls of the room. His wings made considerable
noise and he looked many times larger when flying.
We thought we should have to shut him up in the room until morning, but
at last succeeded in catching him by hitting and knocking him to the
floor with a coat, then throwing it over him.
The little fellow struggled and tried his best to get away, but it was
no use. We put him back into the box and put a weight on the netting. He
scratched around in the box and scolded all the evening, but he did not
get away again.
The next morning I thought he would be hungry and tried to get him to
eat and drink. He lapped a little water and a little milk out of a
teaspoon, running out his tiny red tongue and making a little hacking
noise.
He would not be tempted to eat a fly, shaking his head and spitting the
flies out as fast as I could put them into his mouth.
As he would not eat we thought the little fellow would starve if I did
not let him go. I waited until evening and took the box outdoors. He was
hanging to the netting, and I took it off and turned it over so he could
fly. He spread out his wings and away he went, glad to be at liberty
once more.
I have looked every morning to see if the bat is hanging against the
window, but have not seen him since I set him free.
Martha R. Fitch.
THE ATLAS MOTH.
(_Attacus atlas_.)
India is not only noted for its large and ferocious beasts, but also for
its gorgeous flowers and beautiful insects. Among these is the splendid
Atlas Moth, noted not alone for the extravagance of its coloring, but
also for its immense size, for it is the giant of the moths and
butterflies. The largest specimen recorded is now in the British Museum.
Expanded and measured from tip to tip of the fore wings, it is only
one-quarter of inch less than one foot. Measured in the same manner, the
specimen of our illustration is a trifle over ten inches. The average
expansion, however, is only about eight or nine inches. Its large size
influenced Linnaeus to give this moth the specific designation of Atlas,
the name of one of the Greek gods, by whom the pillars of heaven were
supposed to be supported. In later years the word has been used in a
figurative sense indicative of an ability to sustain a great burden.
Truly no other name would be more appropriate, for the large wings of
the Atlas Moth enable it to fly swiftly and to long distances, though
its flight is somewhat erratic.
The larvae or caterpillars of this regal moth are fully as interesting
and beautiful as the adult insect. They have a long, thick and fleshy
body, which bears several rows of tubercles, crowned with spiny hairs.
When young they are black with white spines, but afterwards become a
rich green color and bear bluish-green or black spines. It is said that
the larvae eat their skins after moulting and it has been suggested that
the object of this habit is to prevent the cast off skins from
indicating their presence to birds and other enemies.
The Atlas Moth varies considerably in the color of its wings and, when
compared with the expanse of its wings, its body is very short. A
peculiar and striking characteristic is the large and triangular
transparent spot near the center of each of the four wings.
Among its allies are some of the most important of the silk producing
moths of India, China and Japan, and the common emperor moth of England.
Other species of the genus Attacus inhabit Central and South America,
but they are much smaller and not as beautiful as the Atlas.