Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscenses Page: 68

68 TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES.

I 'inally 1 wish to c(all attenti)l
to the two original illustrations.
photographs from nature of our
greatest of insect destroyers, the
bat: one representing' our coninoi
town bat: and the other. a raer
veryv large species of the cave oer
mountain bat: the first photo
representing a bat found among a
wagonload full of bat mai1ur at
one of the old Mlitehell's lake boat
houses, now long aRo abandoned.
Bats by the millions in former
years and even no(wO ('Ontreg'ate :11
the old lagoon, on accoulit of tlit
immense insect life there in thl
suIntner and fall. uiow conspienous-
lx- diminished sinee l)r. Camtphell

ne(''a. I e(n on() ti red l llis sp(e'ci-
outing and tllling trip) inl the
canyons and nioudntaiino s regions
of San (erolnilno) solte 27) miles
north of San Antonio. ltrhapls it
had been chiasetld ip froil its
hlallllts )by s)omne alsitlal, as we mllet
samie at nioontime, alut 2 o'clotrk
at a time these noetiural animals
usually are hidltleni in deep dIlark
eaves or large itrok eretevices or iii
the interior of hollo((w cliffs. etie
The large hat was flyin iig , high up
ov'er oir heads il an erre ntie w :1.
andl during (1on of its iurns., I maliin-
ae'dl to l)rintt it down w,,ith a well
Mi ed shot, and we w,)tre astou) al-

4V-
i l i

A CoIr N Bnk-I it IN HA;IN; P srI'IION

erected his hihii11 sanitary 1hathouise
aind tower on the west side of the
lake. I prepared this bat photo
in its natural size. the )bat haiginig
to a board dlowliward. with folded
wins.
Th nimost interesting of these
two photos however, is the second
one. slhowitig the hiead and mIlOtth
parts of the ea ve hat at very lose
focus. prepared with extra lear
focusing lens adjusted to the e(a-

edl xwitlh its lar'g-e size and dark
bhrowin furi-like bodly, reseilhlin,
the fit' of a ferret or a heaver.
Talkiiniu it to the raineli (elos "e b
relative. I r. E. IlIeidlersoi, I p'
l)ared(l the view seen herein.
)r. Alarni)h. of the llelotes. a
scientist of the old school and au-
thorit' on Texas r'e')tilia in ! jltii-
,'le animals iin i'eneral. oinle Veai'r
ago. told tite sieli l irie hats oft nii
i)tonret'gated aroitndl his pietini"-