Here's what T. Alex has to say on his pitfall2 recording:(posted 9121 days ago)As youve rightly noticed in level 2 when you collect a crystal exactly on 3:00 bats turn golden and you can catch them. This is not a bug of the game, but a provided case, a secret thing, like the golden man, the golden cup and the golden clock (which appears in the last level only if youve collected all three previous objects and gives you one life, 1,000,000 points and some more time.
This secret exactly works in the following way: in level 2 (and ONLY in level 2) when you collect a crystal exactly on 3:00 every bat turns golden and keeps in such a way until 3:15. Every bat you catch gives you 1,000 points and you have to catch at least one of them to get the clock in the last level (warning: youll get it only if youll have collected also the golden man and the golden cup).