The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-20
IGNORANCE ABOUT VAMPIRES.
Confused Stories ABOUT the Blood
sucking Bat of South america.
From the Mem York Tribune

From the Net0 York Tribune.
I've since the South American CONT
nent was discovered, especially that
part OF it lying between the ANA
zon and Orinoco rivers, travellers
have come from there with wonder
full tales of the vampires, or. as they
call them, blood-sucking bats. AS fact,
E--la Is known about these pests.
That there are blood-sucking bats which
fe, 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 undoubt-
eddy been bitten by these bats. In the case
OF a man attacked the toe or nose is the
point punctured, while animals are liable to
be bitten anywhere. How the bat does 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
| operation. It is probable that the bat how
ers during the operation rather than rests
| on the body. The rapid vibration of the
soft wings probably also has a soothing
effect on the skin Of the part operated on.
The blood suckers belong to only two or
three species, ami 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 Of preying on man or beast Is the
common superstition that vampyrus
spectrum is a 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 canine
teeth. 1t is perfectly certain that in most
parts of British Guiana this bat is
only fruit eater and is a serious
70 Doe =
who travel much in that country, vOuch for
its harmlessness, and the writer could never
hear of a case where one Of these giant bats
was even suspected Of being blood-sucker.
Wallace, however, gives a different &C
count:
THE vampires are especially plentiful in
the Amazon valley. Their carniverous pro-
pensities were once discredited. but are too
well authenticated. Horses and cattle are
often bitten, and we found them in the
morning covered with blood, and repeated
attacks weaken 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 muf1ied up in
order to avoid being made seriously 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 gem
eric term and does not mean the vRmpyrus
spectrum, for that hat would find no space
large enough to let him into even the loosely
built huts Of the natives. 1t is this slipshod
way Of using the term vampire 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 a perfect blessing In the rooms,
as they would have caught hundreds Of
mOsOuitoes