Mohave County miner., 1891-04-04
WINGED BLOODSUCKERS.
THE VAMPIRE BAT AND HIS
TROPICAL HOME.
Horrible story Of the Death Of q Young
Lady--The Tale Discredlted bui
Others youchsd FOR by
Professor HenshaIl.

The fd9tshat certain South American
bats feed upon the blood 81 other
animals has been known for some
time. but Charles Darwin was the first
naturalist TO prove this characteristic.
While in Chill he found that the bats
worried his horses by biting them on
the withers, This caused severe in
flamatiOn and increased discomfort
was caused tho animal by the pressure
of the saddle on the wounded parts,
''One evening Darwin noticed that a
certain horse was very restless 50 he
quietly stepped up 10 the animal and
clapped his hand on biz withers and
was rewarded by Gatching large bat
or vampire In the very act Of sucking
blood from the horse. There are really
only two species Of these feroclous
bats. One kind lives In Brazil the
other in Chilli and the west Of South
America as far north as Mexico. Their
usual depreciation consists Of fastening
themselves upon larger animals and
then filling themselves with blood be-
fore letting loose. They have been
known, however, 10 kill and deyouf
smaller species Of their own family
but the attacks said ID have been made
on man are simply myths.
According TO a letter written by one
James Uhl, who is engaged IN the
coffee business in Calabozo, Venezuela,
his daughter met with a singular death
last September. The young lady, who
had just entered her seventeenth year,
had been sOmnambulist since child
hood and it was supposed that it was
while in one of her frequent trarces
that she left the house and wandered
several miles out into the country. On
being searched for her body was found.
it Is stated, near the roadside with q
largo vampire clinging to her throat.
The bat attempted to Hy off at the
approach Of the searchers, the epfstle
says. but was so gorged with blood
that it could not do 50, hence it was
easily captured. The countenance OF
the young lady showed that her death
had been a painless one. II Is thought
by her father that she sank down in
her sleep and that the vampire at once
fastened upon her A small wound
was found just over the jugular vein,
where the pear1y-white teeth Of the
monster had punctured the neck. all
the while soothing its victim by a
gentle. lulling movement OF its cut
spread wings.
The length OF this vampire from tip
of wing to tip was over three feet, ind
while its weight should have been ten
or twelve pounds it was so gorl,ed
with blood that 1t weighed over tweaty
pounds.
DIR. James A. Henshali, secretary of
the Natural History society, when in
formed Of the case, said: That story
is a humbug. II there is anything in
it at all, it is probable that the bat
fastened itself upon the young lady
after death, II she had been asleep
the attack would have awakened her
and she would have had no difficulty in
driving il off,"
The bat is a great curiosity even
with natural history students. and
there is probably no creature about
which so little is known, or about
which such an air of mystery hangs.
Thev frequent dark, uncanny places,
and being nocturnal in their habits.
almost effectUally shut out all investi-
CATION. In the first place they IRE
true mammals and take good care Of
their one young. II by chance the
female should give birth TO two young,
the male will often take one to himself
and rear 1t with as much success as the
mother. Ihave known instances where
two bats have hung themselves UP,
side by side, with the young clinging
TO both. This method is adopted to
keep the young warm. On another
occasion, boy in Philadelphia caught
young bat and started to carry il of,
when the mother few upon his breast
and suffered herself to be captured.
Where a bat enters a room at night,
says Prof. Henshcll, it is not attracted
by the light but by some insect that IL
Is pursuing. The fine membranes
called the wings are filed with nerves
and the animal guides itself by its
delicate sense Of touch. There is a
popular superstition that bat breeds
bed bugs. So il does, but not because
these insects are native TO If, but be-
cause OF its frequenting old houses
where the inserts abound. One reason
why people believe in this bedbug story
is the odor that attends all bats This
odOr is produced by glands and is Ge-
signed for protection, and in fact 1t
accomplishes its purpose most efrectu-
ally and serves 10 make the bat one OF
the most disgusting creatures on earth.
| have known instances OF scientific
men getting so nauseated while pursu-
ing their studies OF these creatures,
that they have been compelled 70 stop
work for tims. The bat will play
possum efTcctually-all the time watch
ing you with half-closed eyes. AZ q
rule they are pugnaciOus II attacked
and in fighting can show two beautiful
rows Of teeth that are covered with the
whitest Of enamel. The resemblance
OF bat 70 a mouse Is due 10 their ears
hair and the fail which belongs to
some speeies. Most bats are insec-
tivOrOus but as there are more than
400 species known, there is wide
difference in their habits
The flying fox or fruit bat Is