and to allure them from their holes in quest of food, when Nature has not provided a fupply. Thefe, therefore, have feldom ftrength to return; but, having exhaufted themselves in a vain pursuit, are destroyed by the owl, or any other animal that follows fuch petty prey.

The Bat brings forth in summer, generally from two to five at a time. The female has but two nipples, and those for ward on the breast, as in the human kind. This was a fufficient motive for Linnæus to give it the title of a Primas, and to push this contemptible animal among the chiefs of the creation. Such arbitrary afsociations produce rather ridicule than instruction, and render even method contemptible. The female makes no neft for her young, as most animals do. She is content with the first hole the meets, where licking herfelf by her hooks against the fides of it, The permits her young to hang at the nipple, and to continue there for the first or second day. When the dam begins to grow hungry, she takes her little ones and sticks them to the wall; there they immoveably cling, till her return.

As birds are furnished with strong pec. toral muscles, to move the wings, and direct their flight, so also is this animal; and as the former have their legs weak, and unfit for the purposes of motion, the Bat has its legs fashioned in the fame manner, and is never seen to walk, or, more properly speaking, to push itself forward with its hind legs, but in cafes of extreme neceffity. The toes of the fore-legs extend the web like a membrane that lies between them; and this which is extremely thin, serves to lift the little body into the air. In this manner, by an unceasing percuffion, much swifter than that of birds, the animal continues its flight. However, the great labour fatigues it in less than an hour, and it then returns to its ho'e, fatisfied with its fupply.

This fpecies of the Bat is quite an inoffenfive creature. It is true that it now and then steals into a larder. But this happens seldom; its industry is chiefly exerted after infects that are much more noxious than itself; while its evening Aight and unsteady motion, amuse the imagination, and add one figure more to the pleasing group of animated Na

ture.

Indies, that are truly formidable. Each of these is fingly a dangerous enemy; but when united in flocks, they become dreadful. Were the inhabitants of the African coafts, says Des Marchais, to eat animals of the Bat kind, as they do in the East-Indies, they would never want provifions. There, in their flight, they obfcure the fetting-fun. In the morning, they are seen sticking upon the tops of the trees, and clinging to each other, like bees when they swarm. The Europeans often amuse themselves with shooting among this huge mass of living creatures, and observing their embarrafiment when wounded. They sometimes enter the houses, and the Negroes are expert at killing them; but although these people seem for ever hungry, yet they regard the Bat with horror, and will not eat it though ready to starve.

Of foreign Bats, the largest we have any certain accounts of is the Great Bat of Madagascar. This formidable creature is near four feet broad, when the wings are extended; and a foot long, from the tip of the nose to the infertion of the tail. It differs from our Bat only in its enormous fize; in its colour which is red, like that of a fox; in its head and nose also, which resemble those of that animal, (and which have induced some to call it the flying fox) in the number of its teeth; and in having a claw on the fore foot. This formidable creature is found only in the ancient continent; particularly in Madagafcar, and along the coafts of Africa and Malabar, where it is about the size of a large hen. When they repose, they stick themselves to the tops of the tallest trees, and hang with their heads downward, But when they are in motion, nothing can be more formidable; being seen in clouds, darkening the air, as well by day as by night. They devour, indifcriminately, fruits, flesh, and insects, and drink the juice of the palm tree. They are heard at night in the forelts at more than two miles distance, with a horrible din; but, at the approach of day, they retire. Nothing is fafe from their depredations; they destroy fowls and domestic animals, unless preserved with the utmost care, and often faften upon the inhabitants themselves, attack them in the face, and inflict very terrible wounds. In short, the ancients feem to have taken their idea of Harpies from these voracious creatures, as they both concur in many parts of the defcription, being equally deformed, greedy, uncleanand cruel. Hhs

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An animal, still more mischievous than these, is the American Vampyre; less than the former, but more deformed, and more numerous. It has a horn like the rhinoceros, and its ears are very long. The other kinds generally refort to the most deferted places; but these come into towns, and, after fun-fet, cover the streets like a canopy. They are,' says Ulloa,

the

most expert blood-letters in the world. The inhabitants of those hot latitudes being obliged to leave open the doors and windows of the chambers where they fleep, the Vampyres enter, and if they find any part of the body exposed, never fail to fasten upon it, and fuck the blood, often till the person dies under the operation. They infinuate their tooth into a vein, with all the art of the most experienced Surgeon, continuing to exhauft the body, until they they are fatiated. 'I have been affured, continues he, by perfons of the stricteft veracity, that fuch an accident has happened to them; and that, had they not awaked, their sleep would have been their last, having scarce strength enough left to bind up the orifice. The reason why the puncture is not felt is, besides the great precaution with which it is made, the gentle refreshing agitation of the Bat's wings,

which contributes to encrease sleep, and to soften the pain.'

The purport of this account has been confirmed by various other travellers; who all agree, that this Bat is poffeffed of a faculty of drawing the blood from perfons sleeping. But still, the manner in which they inflict the wound remains to be accounted for. We cannot admit Ulloa's supposition that it is done by a fingle tooth; fince the animal cannot infix one tooth without all the rest; the teeth of the Bat kind being pretty even, and the mouth but small. Mr. Buffon, therefore, fupposes the wound to be inflicted by the tongue; which, however, seems too large to inflict an unpainful wound. It is therefore likely, that the animal is endow ed with a strong power of fuction; and that, without inflicting any wound what. ever, by continuing to draw, it enlarges the pores of the skin in such a manner that the blood at length passes, and that more freely the longer the operation is continued; so that, at last, when the Bat goes off, the blood continues to flow. In confirmation of this opinion we are told, that where beasts have a thick skin, this animal cannot injure them; whereas horfes, mules, and asses, are very liable to be thus destroyed,

B

ERNE, the capital of one of the largest cantons, of the fame name, in Switzerland, is a town of uncommon elegance and beauty. The houses, particularly in the principal ftreet, are mostly uniform, and built of stone upon arcades, that are very convenient in wet weather. These walks, which are well paved, are raised four feet above the level of the street. A

rivulet, being a branch of the river Aar, flows rapidly through the middle of this street, in a channel formed for its reception, and is of great service in keeping it clean; besides this stream, there are many fountains equally beneficial and ornamental.

Another circumstance which contributes greatly to render Berne one of the most cleanly towns in Europe, is thus described by Dr. Moore : Criminals are employed in removing rubbish from the streets and public walks. The more atrocious delinquents are chained to waggons, while those who are condemned for smaller crimes, are employed in sweeping the light

rubbish into the rivulet, and throwing the heavier into the carts or waggons, which their more criminal companions are obliged to push or draw along.

These wretches have collars of iron fixed around their necks, with a projecting handle in the form of a hook to each, by which, on the flightest offence or mutiny, they may be feized, and are entirely at the comniand of the guard, whose duty it is to fee them perform their work. People of both sexes are condemned to this labour for months, years, or for life, according to the nature of their crimes.

It is alledged, that over and above the deterring from crimes, which is effected by this, in common with the other me thods of punishing, there is the additional advantage of obliging the criminal to repair by his labour the injury which he has done to the community.

I fuspect, however, that this advan tage is counter-balanced by the bad effects of habituating people to behold the mifery of their fellow-creatures, which I imagine 3 gradually

gradually hardens the hearts of the spectators, and renders them less sufceptible of of the emotions of compaffion and pity; feelings, which, perhaps, of all others, have the best influence upon, and are the moft becoming human nature.

• Wherever public executions and punishments are frequent, the common people have been observed to acquire a greater degree of insensibility, and cruelty of difpofition, than in other places where fuch scenes feldom occur!-I remember, while I was at Geneva, where executions are very rare, a young man was condemned to be hanged for murder, and there was a general gloom evident in every fociety for several days before and after the execution."

To these objections to this public employment of criminals, the benevolent Mr. Howard, in his State of the English and Foreign Prifons,' adds another, that more particularly relates to the treatment of the female sex: I detest, says he, 'the custom of daily expofing that fex to fuch ignominy and severity; unless, when they are totally abandoned, and have lost all the softer feelings of their fex.'

When Mr. Howard visited Berne in 1776, there were 124 of these slaves *, and in 1778, one hundred and forty-one. They have not,' he adds, each a room to themselves, but there is some distinction between the more or less criminal, both in their rooms and work. The ironcollar on their necks weighs about five pounds. They work in summer from seven to eleven, and from one to fix; in winter from eight to eleven, and from one to four. I asked the men, Whether they would choose to work so, or be confined within doors?" -Much rather, they faid, work thus. The less criminal are in separate wards. They work within doors, spinning, &c. in a large room; and have not the iron-collar. Their daily allowance is two pounds of bread, and twice a day a pint and a half of soup, made of barley, beans, &c. which they fetch from the Great Hospital. In their leifure hours, they make and mend shoes, make straw hats, &c. and deliver them as they pass on at work. But I found a few

of them miferable for want of employment t. They are not fuffered to practise gaming of any fort. Indeed this is forbidden to all the common people; as playing for any considerable sum is to those of higher rank. The keepers are to fee that the prisoners perform their devotions every morning and evening. The Chaplains pray with them and inftru them on Sunday and Thursday. Once a month other Clergymen fuperintend the service. No visitors are admitted on Sunday. Thus a principal object here is to make them better men. This, indeed, should always be the leading view in every House of Correction; and the earning of the prisoners should only be a secondary object. As rational and immortal beings we owe this to them, nor can any criminality of theirs justify our neglect in this particular.'

The river Aar almost encircles the town, winding over a rocky bottom much below the level of the streets, and for a confiderable way forming by its banks, which are very steep and craggy, a kind of natural rampart.

The Cathedral is a noble piece of Gothic architecture, erected upon a platform that has been raised at a great expence from the bed of the river. This platform, which is upon a level with the streets on one fide, and some hundred feet of perpendicular height above them on the other, commands as fine a view as any in Switzerland.

The country around is richly cultivated, and agreeably diversified with hills, lawns, wood, and water. The river flows rapid. ly below, and an abrupt chain of high and rugged Alps appears at some distance, their summits covered with eternal snow.

All the public builings, as the hofpital, granary, the guard house, the arsenal, and the Churches, are in a noble simplicity of style, and announce the riches and grandeur of the Republic. The arsenal contains arms for 60,000 men, besides a confiderable quantity of cannon, which were cast here. The Hospitals, which are large, airy, and well built, are excellently regulated, both with respect to the care and attention paid to the sick, and to the

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