{ 252} The Indians who inhabit within the mountains are roving bands, having no permanent places of residence, and subsisting entirely upon the products of the chase. The people called Padoucas have been often represented as residing in the district now under consideration; but are not at this time to be found here, unless this name be synonymous with that of the Bald-heads, or some other of the six nations already enumerated.
On the morning of the 22d, one of two hunters who had been sent out on the preceding day, but had not returned, came into camp to give notice that a bison had been killed at the distance of eight miles on the other side of the river; men were accordingly despatched with pack-horses to bring in the meat. Astronomical observations were resumed; and all the party were busily employed in the discharge of their ordinary duties, or in preparations for the approaching separation.[38] A vocabulary of the Kaskaia language was filled up with words obtained from the Calf, who still remained with us.
The New York bat (vespertilio noveboracensis) which occurs here, does not vary in any degree from the general characters and appearance of individuals of the Atlantic States. The specimen we obtained is most unequivocally furnished with incisores in the superior jaw, which by Pennant[39] were denied to exist in the species of this name. These teeth being small, and hardly rising to a level with a line of the intervening callosity, might be readily overlooked by a casual observer, who does not aid his vision by the use of the lens. In adducing this fact, it must not be understood that we affirm the existence of those teeth in individuals of this species generally; we only refer to the single specimen before us.
{ 253} A small bat was shot this evening during the twilight, as it flew rapidly in various directions over the surface of the creek. It appears to be an immature specimen, as the molares are remarkably long and acute: the canines are very much incurved, and the right inferior one singularly bifid at tip, the divisions resembling short bristles. This species is beyond a doubt distinct from the Carolina bat, (V. Caroliniana, Geoff.) with which the ears are proportionably equally elongated, and, as in that bat, a little ventricose on the anterior edge, so as almost to extend over the eye; but the tragus is much longer, narrower, and more acute, resembling that of the V. emarginatus, Geoff. as well in form as in proportion to the length of the ear. We call it V. subulatus, Say; and it may be thus described,--ears longer than broad, nearly as long as the head; hairy on the basal half; a little ventricose on the anterior edge, and extending near to the eye; tragus elongated, subulate; the hair above blackish at base, tip dull cinereous; the interfemoral membrane hairy at base; the hairs unicoloured, and a few also scattered over its surface and along its edge, as well as that of the brachial membrane; hair beneath black, the tip yellowish-white; hind-feet rather long, a few setæ extending over the nails; only a minute portion of the tail protrudes beyond the membrane; total length, two inches and one-tenth; tail, one and one-fifth.