1 6 NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



dano-er to the stock of horse- and cattle-owners ; for 

 though each bat take but a few ounces, repeated 

 attacks by the besiegers rapidly weaken the 

 unfortunate animals. According to Mr. Wallace, 

 about 7,000 cattle were said to have been destroyed 

 by bats in six months on the island of Mexicana, the 

 myriads of desmodus reducing some of them to a 

 most miserable condition. The bats were accordingly 

 shot in great numbers ; they may also be trapped by 

 using a live dog as bait. Dr. Tschudi kept his mule 

 free from them by smearing it with an ointment 

 composed of camphor, petroleum and soap ; bats 

 do not like the smell of this unguent, which is hence 

 largely used to deter them. Save for this blood- 

 sucking propensity, the vampire is interesting enough. 

 The swarms which at sunset flit through the woods 

 and darkened fields should possess considerable 

 attraction for the naturalist. The writer remembers 

 watching with pleasure some years ago the evolutions 

 of a number of harmless Old World bats as they flew 

 silhouetted in black against the clear sky of Africa ; 

 and in the study of these animals much yet remains 

 to be done. 



The very abundance of the South American 

 cheiroptera long hindered the recognition of the 

 desmodus as the true bloodsucking vampire. Various 

 harmless species have been accused of this eerie 

 propensity. Even so accomplished a naturalist as 

 Charles Waterton, who made several journeys into 



