The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-06-24
ABOUT VAMPIRES.
tonfa,ed Stories About the niosd-suek-
Ing nst 81 south America.

IGNORANCE ABOUT VAMPIRES.
tonfased Stories Aboui the Hood suck
log nst Of south America.
Ever since the South American
continent was discovered, especially
chat part Of Il lying between the
Amazon and OrinOco rivers. travellers
have come from thoro with wonder
iul tales Of the vamies. or. as they
call them. blood-sucdng haia As
fact. little Is known about the pests.
says the Now York Tribune That
there are blood-sucking bats which
feed not only on the blood Of man
but also animals Is an undouhicd fact.
and though tho writer himself has
never been bitten by one. no has.
while travelling In the interior OF
British Guiana, seen Indians aud
ponies that had undoubtedly boon
bitten by these bats In the case 81
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 one has yet
awakened while being operated on by
one OF these bats despite the fact
that considerable blood j. extracted
and more or less loss Of blood takes
place after the operation. Il Il prob
ablo that the bat hovers during the
operation rather than rests on the
body. The rapid vibration Of the
soft wings probably also has a sooth-
ing effect on the skin Of the part
operated on.
The bloOd-suckers belong 10 only
two or three species, and wherever
these are found there are also many
others whose food Is only fruit or in
scots. or both. The most natural
mistake about the bats which are in
nocont Of preylng on man or beast Is
the common supposiilon that vampy-
rus spectrum i u blood-sucker The
stretch Of wings Of this bat frequent
~ reaches three feet, aud Il has a
most ferocious aspect with enormous
~ large and pointed canine teeth
II l. perfectly certain that IN most
parts OF British Guiana this bat Is
only a fruii-eaier and Is a serious pest
20 iruit-growers Bates aud Edwards.
who travelled much In that country,
youch for i.s j rmlcssness. and the
writer could never hear Of a case
whore enc Of these giant bats were
even suspected OF being a blood.
sucker Naiiaco. however. gives d
different account
"lho vampires arc especially plen
tiful In the Amazon valley Their
carniyorous propen7.iics we're once
discredited. but aeo too well anthem
ticaied. Horses Gul olttle are often
bitten. and We found them In IA,
morning covered with blood. and re-.
I peaicd attacks weaken and ultimate
/ ~ destroy them. some persons ar,
especially sabjcct % the attacks OI
these bats. aud a. native huts ar,
never sufficiently close % keep then
out those unfortunate persons ar,
OBLIGED 10 sleep completely mufiles
up "a order 70 avoid being made scri
ously III or oven 10 ing their lives
Wallace. In saying that "tho hut
are never sufficiently close 10 keel
them out. q identity uses the wor,
vampire a. q generic term and doe
not mean the vampyrus spectrum. 70
that bat Woall nnd no space larg
enough 90 ici him into even the loose
/ ~ built hu;s q the natives Il 8
this slipshod war 81 using the tern
vampire that brings trouble TO man!
a useful bat The writer has been 4
a house whore every caution wa
taken % keep out bats which woull
have bocu perfect blessing in IN
rooms, as they would have caugh
hundreds Of mosquitoes.