The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-04-05
IGNORANCE ABOUT VAMPIRES.
Confused Stories About the BIood-SuclSing
Bat of south America.

Confused Stories About the BIood-suclSing
bat of south America.
Ever since the South American CONT.
nent was discovered, especially that part
of II lying between the Amazon and
OTinoco rivers. travellers have come from
there with wonderful tales OF The vampires,
or, as they call them. blood.sucking bats.
As n fact. little is known about these pests,
SAYS the New York Tribune. That there
are oodsucking bats which feed not
only on the blood of man. but also animals,
is an undoubted fact. aud 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
those bats. In the case OF a man
attacked the toe or nose was
the point punctured, while animals
are liable to be bitten anywhere. How
tho bat does it's work has not been made
clear. for no man has vet 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 operation. 1t is
probable that the bat hovers during the
operation rather than rests on the body.
The rapid vibration OF the soft wings prob
ably also has a 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 a'so many others whose
food is only fruit or insects, or both. The
most natural mistake about the bats
which are innocent of preyiug on man or
beasts is the common supposition that
vampyrus spectrum is q blood-sucker.
The stretch OF wings of this bat frequently
reaches three feet and it has q most fero-
cious aspect, with enormously large and
pointed canine teeth. 1t is perfectly cer-
tain that ia most parts OF British Guiana
this bat is only fruit eater and is seri-
Gus pest to fruit growers. Bates and Ed
wards, who travelled much in that country.
vouch for It's harmlessness, and the writer
could never hear of case where one of
these giant bats was ever suspected OF be-
| ing a blood-sucker Wallace, however,
gives different account.
1.-THE vampires are especially plentiful
| in the Amizon valley. Their carnivorous
propensities were once discredited. but are
too well authenticated. Horses and cattle
are often bitten, and we found them in
the morning covered with blood, aud re-
| peated attacks weaken ana ultimately
| destroy them. Some persons are espe-
cially 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
muffled up in order to avoid being made
seriously iii 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 as a
generic term. and does not mean the YAM
pyrus spectrum. for that bat would find
no space large enough to let him into even
| the loosely built huts OF the natives. 1t is
the slipshod way Of using the term YAM
pire that brings trouble TO many useful
bat The writer has been in a house where
| every precaution was taken to keep out
bats which would have been perfect
blessing in the rooms. as they would have
| caught hundreds OF mosquitoes.