The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-20
BLooD-sUCKING BATS.
Differing Stories About the YAM
pires Of South America.
Many Species of tho Queer Creatures
Which Are Harmless aud Even
Useful Are NcSardcdas
DAaEcrous.

Ever since the South American con-
tinent was discovered, especially that
part of it lying between the Amazon
and Orinoco rivers, travellers have come
from there with wonderful tales of the
vampires, or, as they call them. blood
sucking bats. AS u fact, little is
known about these pests, says the New
York Tribune. That there are blood
sucking bats which feed not only on the
blood of man but also animals is an IN
doubted fact. ard though the writer
himself has never been bitten by one.
he has, while travelling in tho interior
of British Guiana, seen Indians and
ponies that had undoubtedly been
bitten by these pests. In the case Of (:
man attacked the toe or noac is the
point puncturcd, while animals are IL
able to be bitten anywhere How The
bat docs its work has not been made
clear, for no man has yet awakened
while being operated on by one OF these
bats, despite the fact that considerable
blood is extracted and more or less loss
of blood takes place after the opera
ton. 1t is probable that the bat fovcrs
during the operation rather than rests
on the body. The rapid vibration Of
the soft wings probably also has 2
soothing effect upon the skin of the part
operated on.
The blood-spcl:crs belong to only two
or three species, and wherever these are
found there are also many others whose
food is only fruit Or insects, or both.
The most natural mistake about the
bats which are innocent or proving on
man or beast is the common supposi;ion
that vampyrus spectrum is n blood
sucker. The stretch Of wings of this
bat frequently reaches three feet. and it
has most ferocicus aspect, with cnor-
mously large and pointed canine teeth
1t is perfectly certain that in most purts
of British Guiana this bat is only Il fruit
eater and is a serious pest to fruit
growers. Bates and Edwards, who
Travelled much in that country, vouch
for its harmlessncss, and the writer
could never hear of Il case where one
of these giant bats was even suspected
of being blood-suclScr. Wallace, how
ever, gives Il different account.
"Thc vampires are especially pleu.i-
ful in the Amazon valley. Their carniv-
erous propcnsities were once dscrcd-
tied, but are too well authenticated
Horses and cattle are often bitten, and
we found them in the morning covered
with blood, and repeated, attacks weak
en- and ultimately destroy them. Som G
persons are especially subject to the ut
tacl<s of these bats and Us native huts
are never sufficiently close to keep them
out, those unfortunate persons are
obliged to sleep completely muGlce! up
in order to avoid being made seriously
i'll or even losing their lives"
Wallace, in saying that 1.-The huts are
never sufficiently close TO keep them
OUT" evidently uses the word vampire
us generic term and does not n,ca n
the vampyrus spectrum, for that lat
would find no space large enough t. let
him into even the loosely built huts Of
the natives 1t is this slipshod way of
using the word vampire that brings
trouble to many n useful bat The
writer has been in II house where every
precaution was taken to keep out bats
which would have been perfect bless
Ing in the rooms, as they would haze
caught hundreds of mosquitoes