Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-07-29
lonoRANee Aeour vAmpIRes.
Confused Stories About the Bieod-sack-
ing HAT of South America.

Confused Stories About the Biood-sack-
ing nat Of South America.
Ever since the South American
continent was discovered, especially
that part of IL lying between the
Amazon and Orinooo rivers, travellers
have come from there with wonder
full tales Of the vampires, or. as they
call them. blood-sucking bats. As a
fact, little Is known about the pests.
saws the New York Tribune, That
there are bloOd-sueking bats which
feed not only on the blood OF man
but also animals Is an undOubted fact,
and though the writer himself has
never been bitten by one, he has,
while travelling in the interior Of
British Guiana, seen Indians and
ponies that had undoubtedly been
bitten by these bats. In the case Of
man attacked the toe OF nose is tho
point punctured, while animals arc
liable 10 DO bitten anywhere. How
the bat does its work has not been
made clear, for no one 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 u blood takes
place after the operation. II Is prob
able that the bat h0yers during tho
operations rather than rests on the
body. The rapid vibration u the
soft wings probably also has sooth-
Ing effect on the skin 81 the part
operated on
Tho blood suckers belong 20 only
two or three species, and wherever
these are found there ara also many
others whose food Is only fruit or In
scots. or both The most natural
mistake about the bats which airs In
nocent Of preylng on man Or beast Is
the common superstition that yampy-
rus spectrum is blood.sucker. The
stretch OF wlags OF this bas frequent
Is reaches th,ee feet, ana il has n
most lerocious aspect with enormous.
y large and pointed canine teeth.
II Is perfectly certain that III moht
parts 81 British Guiana this bat u
only irult-cater and u a serious pcst
10 fruit-growera Bates and Edwards.
who travelled much In that country.
youch for its harmlcsaness. and tho
writer could never hear % case
whore one % these giant bats were
eyea suspected ~ being blood
sucker Wallace, however. gives n
different account
tlhe vampires are especially pieu'
tiiuI In the Amazon valley Thclr
i cnrnlyorous propvusitias wrro 0neo
discredited. bat are too we'll authen.
ticated llorsns aad cattlo arr often
bitten. and wr found them ia the
morning covered Sith blood. and 70.
peAted attacks weaken and ultimate.
" destroy them. Some pcrs0us are
especially subject 20 the attack "
these bats, and ~ native huta are
never sufficiently CLOSE 20 kccp thcm
out. those unfortunate persons are
obliged u sleep completely muaicd
up In order 90 avoid being made seri-
ously III or syca losing thCir lives
Wallace. IN saying that niho butts
arc mover sufficiently close % keep
Thorn out. evidently uses tho word
vampire a. a generic term and dOos
not mean the vampyrus spectrum. for
that bat would find no space large
enough 20 let him into oven the loose
Is built huts ot tho natives II IL
this -lipshod Eay ~ using tho term
vampire that brings trouble u many
useful bat The writer has b.pn IN
house where every prccautlou was
taken TO keep out bats which would
have been u perfect blessing In tho
rooms. as they would haze caught
hundreds Of mosquitoes.