Summary
This paper is a report of some of our efforts to increase knowl- edge about the feeding ecology of insectivorous bats. It includes some consideration of what insectivorous bats eat, structure in bat faunas, the role of activity in resource partitioning, and the practical value of this kind of research. The results of several years' work are presented, including graduate (Coutts, 1972) and undergraduate (Martin, 1973; Worrall, 1972) thesis projects, some of which have been published elsewhere (Coutts et al., 1973).
Methodology
We have used a variety of methods in the research, but two deserve special mention here. In May 1971, we constructed a bat-holding facility including a screened-in flyway onto which opened a series of 24 cages for housing bats. The cages were designed to permit collection of feces and to accommodate graduated drinking tubes allowing us to monitor rates of water consumption.