The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-08-05

believed, until at last naturalists repudiated
the whole story as a travellers tale. !"
However, as usual, the truth seems to have
lain between the two extremes; for it is
satisfactorily ascertained by more recent
travellers that the vampires really do bite
both men and cattle during the night.
But the wound is never known to be fatal,
and in most instances causes but little in
convenience to the sufferer.
When they direct their attacks against
mankind, the vampires almost invariably
select the foot as their point of attack; and
their bloodloying propensities are the dread
of both natives and Europeans. With sin
gular audacity, the vampire even creeps
into human habitations, and seeks out the
exposed feet Of any sleeping inhabitant who
has incautiously neglected to draw a cover
let over his limbs.
When they attack quadrupeds, they gen
orally fix themselves ON the shoulders and
hanks of the animal, and infict wounds
sufficiently severe to cause damage, unless
properly attended to. It's quite common
occurrence that when the cattle are brought
from the pastures where they have passed the
night, their shoulders and fanks are COW
cred with blood from the bites Of these
blood-loving bats. 1t might be said that
the bleeding wounds were due to some 9TH
er cause; but the matter was set at rest by
the fortunate capture of vampire ssred-
handed, in the very act of wounding
horse.
Darwin, who narrates the circumstance,
states that he Was travelling in the neigh
borhood of Coquimbo, in Chill, and had
halted for the night One Of the horses
became very restless, and the servant who
went to ascertain what was the matter with
the animal fancied that he could see some
thing strange on its withers. He put his
hand quickly on the spot, and secured
vampire bat. Next morning there was
some inflammation and soreness on the spot
where the bat had been captured; but the
i'll effects soon disappeared, and three days
afterwards the horse was as well as ever.
1t does not seem to be the severity of the
wound which does the harm, but the irr7-
tation which Is caused by pressure, wheth-
er Of saddle in the case Of horse, or Of
clothing in the case of human being.
The vampire seems to be very capricious
in its tastes, for while one person may sleep
in the open air with impunity, another will
be wounded almost nightly. Mr. Water
ton, urged by enthusiastic desire for per-
sonal investigation, slept for the space of
eleven months in an open loft. where the
vampires came in and cut every night.
They were seen towering over the ham,
mock, and passing through the apertures
that served for windows but never made
single attack on him; yet an Indian who
slept within few yards, suffered frequent
IL by the loss Of blood from this toes.
This distinction was not onaccount Of color,
for young lad about twelve years Of age,
the son of an English gentleman, was Bit
ten on the forehead with such severity that
the wound bled freely on the following
morning. The fowls Of the same house
suffered 50 terribly that they died fast; and
an unfortunate donkey was being killed by
inches.
Although these batve has so great pre-
dileetion for the blood of animals, they are
not restricted to so sanguinary diet, but
live chiefly on insects, which they capture
on the wing Indeed, they would have
meagre diet were they to depend wholly on
a supply of blood, for there are sufficient
vampires in existence to drain the life-blood
from man and beast
Many other creatures have the sam pro-
pensities, happy if they can crafty them,
satisfied if they are withheld from 50 doing.
The common leech is familiar example Of
a similar mode Of life; for it may be that
not one leeeh out of thousand ever tastes
blood at all, although they are so raven
ously eager for it when they have an OPP
portunity to crafty their sanguinary tastes.