The Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1861-1862, 1861-12-14

Z The J0lma1I ofHe As.atics Society co1tains
the following interesting account Of thu above,
Mr.: Blyth, who contributedth the mott e, saws:
Happening, one evening, to observe rather
large bat enter an outhouse, from which there
was no other egress than by the doorway, L
was fortunate enough in being eble to procure
a light, and thus proceed to tbccapture of the
aniroal. Upon finding itself pursued, it took
three or four turns round the apartment, then
down dropped what at the moment / sup
posed to be its young, and which deposited
in my handkerchief After asomewhat tedi-
ous chase then secured tho object Of my
pursuit, which proved %. be a silio pregnant e.
male OF Maqaderma lwu. I then looked at
the other bat. which had picked up and, to
considerable surprise found it to be small
lewe,tilio, nearly allied to the European Y
p;pistrel,,s, which is exceedingly abundant,
not only here, but apparently throughout In
dia, being the same also, to all appearance, as
asmall species which my friend, DIR. Cantor,
procured in Chusan. The individual now re-
fered to, was feeble from loss Of blood, which
it was evident the Megaaema had been suck
ing from a large and still-beeding wound, un-
der and behind the ear; and the very obviously
suctorial form of the mouth of the vampire
was, of itself, sufficient to hint the strong
probability of such being the case. During
t'e very short time that elapsed before en-
tcToi the out -house, it did not appear that
the deprcdator had once alighted, but I am
satisfied that it sucked the vital current from
its victim as it flew, having probably seized
it onthe wing, and that it was seeking qui-
ct nook where it might dcvour the body at
leasurc. kept both animals wrapped sep,-
rately in my handkerchief till the next morn
ing, when, procuring a convenient cage, first
put in the MegaleiW,a and, after Observing it
for some time, placed the other bat with it.
No sooner was the latter perceived, than the
other fastened on it with the ferocity of d IT,
ger, again s.izing it, behind the ear, and made
several efforts to fly away with it; but finding
it must needs stay within the precincts of the
cage, it soon hung by the hind legs to one side
of its prison, and, after sucking its victim till
no more blood was left, commenced devourine
it, and soon left nothing but the head and
some portions of the limbs. The weddings oh.
served very shortly after in its cage rescmblcd
clottcd blood, which will explain the state.
ment of Secadman and others, concerning
masses of CONCEALED blood being always OBJ
served near patient who has been attacked
by q South American vampire. Such, then,
IS the mode Of subsistence of the Aegaderma.
The sanguinvorous propensities of certain bats
inhabiting South America have long beer
notorio Us, but the fact has not heretofore been
observe nthe Old World and thecireumstanct
0: one kind Of bat preying upon another, is
al'ogc her new, though !. think L not improb-
able that the same will be found to obtain (tc
a gre to- oslcsser cxtent) among the largeI
species, if not throughout the whole extcrsiut
allied genus of Rbino'oyhas or horse sho,
bttsl, which, like Mtgrterm1, are peculiar t,
| Eastern worId.''