Now, then, what’s a belfry?
A belfry is simply a bell tower or steeple that houses bells, especially a structure that is part of a church.
And the term “batty” and “bats in the belfry”?
Being “batty” or “having bats in one’s belfry” usually means, well, being just a wee bit crazy. Bats are, of course, the erratically flying mammals that we study in our Central Coast Bat Survey. And “belfries” are bell towers, often found at the top of churches, where bats may choose to live. Using some imagination, having “bats in the belfry” likens someone who acts a bit odd to having bats careering around his topmost part, that is, the head.
It sounds like something that might have been a phrase invented in some misty town in England; however, its derivation has its roots in jolly old . . . USA! Here are a couple of references from near the turn of the previous century:
From the Ohio The Newark Daily Advocate, October 1900 (and perhaps a quite appropriate reference in the context of our current political climate):
And the term “batty” and “bats in the belfry”?
Being “batty” or “having bats in one’s belfry” usually means, well, being just a wee bit crazy. Bats are, of course, the erratically flying mammals that we study in our Central Coast Bat Survey. And “belfries” are bell towers, often found at the top of churches, where bats may choose to live. Using some imagination, having “bats in the belfry” likens someone who acts a bit odd to having bats careering around his topmost part, that is, the head.
It sounds like something that might have been a phrase invented in some misty town in England; however, its derivation has its roots in jolly old . . . USA! Here are a couple of references from near the turn of the previous century:
From the Ohio The Newark Daily Advocate, October 1900 (and perhaps a quite appropriate reference in the context of our current political climate):
“To his hundreds of friends and acquaintances in Newark, these . . . senseless attacks on Hon. John W. Cassingham are akin to the vaporings of the fellow with a large flock of bats in his belfry.”
The well-known American author, editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist, and satirist, Ambrose Bierce used the term in a piece he wrote for Cosmopolitan Magazine in July of 1907. In describing the use of this relatively new term, Bierce wrote:
“He was especially charmed with the phrase ‘bats in the belfry’, and would indubitably substitute it for ‘possessed of a devil’, the Scriptural diagnosis of insanity.”
About Our Bats
Did you know that there are 16 bat species that regularly occur within California’s Central Coast region?
Did you also know that we know very little about our Central Coast Bats SPECIFICALLY? That’s right, most of our knowledge comes from just a few surveys and more from what we EXPECT might be true based on our knowledge from other parts of California and the West.
Here’s how YOU can help!
- Please LET US KNOW if you have found a dead bat.
- Please LET US KNOW if you have a colony of bats living in your house, out-buildings, or other locations on your property.
- Please LET US KNOW also if you find a bat roost when you’re on a hike, a bike ride, a picnic, or even sitting in town at dusk in a local park, an outdoor concert, or while dining al fresco.
Your report(s) will add to our understanding of the the types of bats (that is, which bat species) occur in our area; their distribution (that is, where they can be found geographically); the timing of their occurrence, the habitats in which they occur, and many other important facts.
Here’s to hoping that the bats in YOUR (neighborhood) belfry are Molossids (free-tailed bats) or Vespertillionids (evening bats).