Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-04-01
IGNORANCE ABOUT VAMPIRES.
Confused Stories About the Blood
Sucking Bat Of South America.


Sucking Bat Of South America
4 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 fact, little is known
about these pests, says the New York
Tribune, That there are blood-suckiug
bats which feed not only on the blood
Of man but also animals is an un-
doubted 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 bit
ten by these bats. In the case of n
man attacked the toe or nose is the
point puncured, while animals are
liable to be bitten anywhere. How the
bat does its work has not been made
clear, IcI 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 hoy
eIs during the operation rather than
rests ON the body The rapid vibration
Of the soft wings probably also has q
soothing effect on the skin of the part
operated on,
The blood-suckers belong to only two
or three species, and wherever these
are found there are also many Cthers
whose food is only fruit or insects, or
both. The most natural mistake about
the bats which are innocent 81 DIeyiuE
on man or beast is the common suppo-
sidOn that yampyruS spectrum is
bloOd-sucker The stretch Of wings of
this bat frequently reaches three feet,
and it has a most ferocious aspect,
with enormously large and pointed ca-
nine teeth. 1t is perfectly certain that
in most parts of British Guiana this
bat is only a fruit-eater and is a serious
pest to fruit-growers. Bates and Ed.
wards, who travelled much in that coun-
try, yOuch for its harmleSsneSs, and the
writer could never hear of a case where
one Of these giant bats was even sus-
pected Of being a blOOd-sucker. Wallace
however, gives Il different account
The vampires are especially plentiful
in the Amazon valley Their caInivor-
GUS propensities were once discredited,
but are too wen 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, Some
persons are especially subject to the
attacks of these bats, and as native
huts are never sufficiently close to keep
them out, those unfortunate persons
are obliged to sleep completely mudled
up in order to avoid being made ser
iously i'll or even losing their lives.
Wallace, in saying that the huts are
never sufficiently close to keep them
out evidently uses the word vampire
as a generic term and does not mean the
vampyrLs spectrum, for that bat would
find no space large enough to let him
into even the loosely built huts Of the
natives. Tt is this slipshod way of
using the term vampire that brings
trouble to many a useful bat The
writer has been in a house where every
precaution was taken to keep out bats
which would have been a perfect bless
ing in the rooms, as they would have
caught hundreds of mosquitoes.