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Show FRUIT-EATING BATS QUEER CREATURE FOUND IN THE PHILIPPINES. Returned Soldier Tellt of Shooting Combination of Bird and Beatt Unlike Anything He Had Ever Seen. Los Angeles, Cal. "I think tho hard est thing to kill In the Philippines is a flying fox or frult-cating bat. Thoto frult-catlng bats come Hying over by tho thousands from tho Island of Has-satan Has-satan to tho Island of Mindanao Just nt sunset, and fly back between four and five In tho morning. "I went out hunting with two shipmates ship-mates nbout two miles outside of Zam-boanga Zam-boanga ono day, and about thrco o'clock In the afternoon tho natives took us to soiuo rico paddles, whoro, about five o'clock, tho doves and rlco lions wero flying around so thick wo tat In ono plnco and kept on shooting till our shells wore very near all gone," says a returned Boldlcr from the Philippines. "Just ns wo were going to Btnrt back to the ship a Moro told ono of tho Filipinos about some big birds which roosted at' night In tho trees close by. As near as wo could mako but It wns some kind of a wild turkey, tur-key, to wo concluded to try to got one. "While wo were sitting thoro waiting wait-ing patiently for turkeys tho Moro camo running up and pointed Into ono of the big trees, nnd what did wo see but a big frult-catlng bat sailing around tho tree. "After wnstlng a box of shells I finally succeeded In breaking ono's wing. When ho came down ho started to screech, or rather I don't know what kind of a nclso you would call. It, till we couldn't hear. I hit him on tho head with tho gun barrel about four times, and it didn't seem to feazo him. Ono of tho Moros said he wanted him for 'chow cat,' bo I blow tho bat's head off and gave It to hltn. "Thcso bats arc about tho slzo of n half-grown cat In body, nnd this ono's wings spread from tip to tip about thrco feet. Thoy havo a head Just llko a fox, and their bodies nro covered cov-ered with flno fur, something llko a muskrnt's, hut not ns thick. Thoy havo two hind legs with heavy claws on them for hanging on trees, and they also havo a hook on each Joint of their wings, so they can hang cither way. "I examined this bat and found out it had no stomach. I wanted to find what they lived on, but all I could find was water of tho fruit I think all thoy eot is fruit growing wild in the mountains. "Their wings nro llko fine rubber, and you can fill them full of holes nnd it won't fenzo them. If you hit them had In tho body they will sail oft and drop so far away that you won't be ablo to find them. "The only way to get them Is to break a wing, or go whera they hang In the trees In the daytlmo and kill them with clubs. I never snw thorn hanging In tho trees In tho day tlmo, but soldiers told mo thoy saw them In the mountains hanging on trees so thick that tho branches were nbout to break undor their weight. "Tho fur bearers out thoro don't amount to much. Tho only thing I saw that might be of any use was a mountain cat and those flying foxes. Tho deer hides havo only got coarso hair on them, and they havon't got a nlco pelt llko the deer In tho states." |
