OCR Text |
Show THE VALUE OF BATS. , By U. W. Hcnshaw. Chief Biological Survey Department of Agriculture. There is no doubt of the great value ' of bats In tho destruction of mosquitoes mosqui-toes and other noxious Insects, cspec- I tally beetles. For years wo have been ( lnercstod In the subject and hao ex-j amfned many bat stomachs, with a, view to finding out the precise species upon which tho different bats feed. The Investigation, however, to beset with difficulties owing to the fact, that! bats habitually ?ecm to thoroughly, chew their insect food before swallowing swal-lowing it. with tho result that tho determination de-termination even of genoral Insects raken for food Is very difficult, whilo the Identification of soft-bodied insects llko mosquitoes is practically impossible. impos-sible. Because they destroy so many Insects we adoeate the protection ot batx wherover they occur. None of the ppcclcs that inhabit tne United States do any harm, althougn thev sometimes cause annoyance u congregating In large numbers in tho attics or under the oaves of count. houses, when the noe they coming and going frequently fjsturb; . the inmate of the home. This trouble. (however, can slway. o easily cuicd by stopping up the holes and compoll- f . ing the bats to take up their residence j, elsewhere. j in connection with the economic In.- I nnrtanco of bats the value of their gu'no a3 a fertilizer Is not to be over- j. footed as it brings a high price whey- J over It can be obtained in mctabl. ! f 'Quantities. In fact the erection of k iSwcli belters for bats for the pur- , I ip'ose of obtaining the guano has frc- i Sucntlv been advocated, as also ha. a iS 2 tempt to increase the number of J I tl"e mammals, having in mind then n 'ieiruclton of noxious Insects, espec , I i ially moiqultoos. U , Wo know of at least one U.ncr g 1 1 i Mexico, where a small dw c.llrf - g Sven up to the exclusive use oS Izj p ?or?he purpose of annually w eni. I ; annually gathering the guano fo. 3.1- I t |