The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-12-29
DL0ODSUCK|NC BATS
These Pests Are Plentiful In the
Forests OF Brazil.
THEY ATE TRUE VAMPIRES.

'eut Cattle and Horses Are Their Chief
Victims. Which They Prefer to Hu-
man 1einss-Their Chissl-like Tssth
and Peculiar interior Anatomy.
Half a dozen of us had been telling
what we thought we knew about
bloodsucking bats. but our convefsa.
ton had deyeloped only an astouish
Ing amount OF misinformation and ir
recOncilabie differences. SO we called
In the doctor who had lived sonc
years In Brazil and asked him to eernb
out our tangled Ideas.
I'm not surprised at your coniu
siOn." he began. for at one time or
another I have believed bove every
thing your questions would sugseIf
When ! was schooiboy the vampire
was a bat az large Az crow, had
horn on his nose aud was described as
sitting on his victims feet, flaming
him with his wings while he worked
his pumping apparatus. There is such
bat. but when 1t was proved that II
was fruit eater many of M doubted
the whole bat legend along With the
old mythology. There In a bloodsucking
vampire. however-millions Of them.
THE old Spanish cOnquistadors
found proof OF It's existence In sore
great toes. which looked ms II the skin
had been delicately shaved on. JUST
deep enough to ooze blood. but they
never caught one aud naturally laid
haa hI IN tn hau
fonnd. wnirh are nearly all yegetari.
aus. The real thing is II small reddish
brown creature closely resembling bats
OF the same color caught here not in
frequently.
"Tbe naturalist finds, however. some
surprising differences. They have no
teeth for any purpose save for thin
ming the skin - not enough for the
blood TO flow freely. but just sufficient
TO enable them TO draw Il by suction.
The wound rarely bieeds after they
leave II. This prepa rati0n IN done with
a pair of chisei- like teeth. sharp as q
knife. Their Interior ANTONY differs
from other animals M well rs their
teeth. All the other animals. no far az
I know, have stomach and necessary
organs for converting food Into blood.
The true vampire has only an eion-
gated sacklike Intestine for the storage
of the bIooa taken. which requires no
digestion TIL II IL taken up into the
circulntory system. With neither teeth
nor stomach. IL has no alternative. II
must ind nourishment ready made.
This popularity may or may not
account for one very strange thing
about Its selection OF Victims. Cattle
and horses are the chief ones Not
one human being In hundred entire
ly satisfies their taste. Not half the
people who live among them all their
lives are ever bitten. but II one Of
family. for instance. Just suits them
they'll follow that person to any part
Of the house. and no matter how care
fully he may be covered or screened
they will find their particular tipple.
THE stories OF their bleeding people
almost to death ARE true only partly
i have known Of one boy who was no
persistently followed that. while the
loss Of blood was small from single
attack. after months Of the drain he
was greatly reduced In vitality. He
WAS always bitten In the same place
the end OF the great tOe-and II be.
came 80 lacerated that there was con
siderable subsequent hemorrhage. This
lad was the youngest Of four broth
ers. They all slept IN the same room
and sometimes changed beds. but none
of the others was ever bitten.
Cattle and horses are attacked al
ways NJ II spot ON the spine Just back
of the shoulders where the hair sep
arates In II stnrlike spot This In the
case OF II horse Is Just where the front
end Of the saddle comes. and the at
tack therefore makes vast deal Of
trouble where every one rides horse
back. A majority of the Brazilian
horses and nearly all the cows are bit
ten by these plaques.
Fortunately the pests are mostly
confined to the forest country. They
give comparatively little trouble in cit
les aud villages. though the construc-
ton Of houses makes 1t impossible to
keep them out. ln cities tiles are ex
clusively used for roofs and In the
country pain leaf matching, and all
kinds of bats come and 60 at pleasure.
One rarely goes tn sleep without from
one to a dozen flying about the room.
They are nearly all harmless and are
welcome because they catch insects
They all look 40 much alike that one
does not know which to attack.
How tn genuine vampires eluded
scientific research SO long il mys-
terry. The species was not positively
identified until the visit Of Darwin In
the Beagle. 1t WAS In the seventies. l
think. and there Is not at the present
day. SO far as | can learn. q single
well authenticated case recorded In
the natural histories OF true ram
pire being captured while feeding on
. human being" Dewey Austin Cobb
in New York Tribune.