It deserves to be here noticed that amongst the peculiarities which distinguish certain genera of bats, is the absence not only of the upper cutting teeth in the East Indian and African genius megaderma, but even of the bone in which these teeth are usually placed; and that another tropical genius, nyeteris, of which the species are found in Africa and Java, have the skin attached to the body only at a few points, and capable of being blown up like a bladder, at the pleasure of the animal, by means of air, which is inhaled through the nostrils into cheek-pouches communicating by small apertures with the gen eral skin-bag. The use of this is wholly unknown.
Bats walk or creep awkwardly upon the ground, one side of the body being jerked forward, and then the other, yet they run with considerable celerity. There is a com mon notion that they cannot rise easily from a level surface, but must find some emi nence from which to throw thernSelves. Of the fallacy of this, any one will soon be convinced who gets a B. and places it upon the floor.—Bats commonly produce one or two young at a birth.—Some of the species are very gregarious; others often tly about in pairs: great numbers, and of different species. are often found congregated in their places of hybernation or repose.—Some of the species are easily tamed, and become very
familiar; but their odor is disagreeable, and it is generally found difficult to keep them long alive.
Fossil remains of eheiroptera are occasionally found in eocene rocks. but owing to the delicacy of the bones, great difficulty has been experienced in the determination of the genera and species.
BAT, or BAT (Fr.) in military matters, was originally the name of a kind of pack saddle; and hence a bat-horse was a baggage-horse bearing a bat or pack, and a bat-man was a servant in charge of the horse and bat. By a modification of meaning, a bat-man is now any soldier allowed to net as servant to an officer. I'Vlien British troops are sent on foreign service, hat-horses or nudes are provided (if carriages are not forth coming) for carrying the regimental books, the kettles, and tents, the medicine-chest, the veterinary medieme-eliest, intrenching tools, armorers' stores, saddlers' stores, cte.— about 20 such horses or mules to each battalion. Bat-horses and bat-men are also pro vided for carrying officers' camp-equipage. An allowance for procuring these accom modations is usually called bat-money.