146 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



Limited as is our space, we cannot pass over the Sucker-footed Bats. These are met 

 with, strangely enough, in countries so far apart as Brazil and Madagascar. The suckers from 

 which they derive their name, in the Brazilian species, are small circular, hollow disks, attached 

 to the thumb and the sole of the foot, recalling the suckers of the cuttle-fish and brown water- 

 beetle. By their means the animal is enabled to climb over smooth vertical surfaces. 



A white bat is a rarity in the bat world. We cannot therefore afford to pass without mention 

 the fact that Centrai and South America possess tun species of White Bats. This colour is 

 probably developed for protection's sake, the bats being found nestling between the silvery leaves 

 of a cocoanut-palm. Bril- 

 liant coloration, on the other 

 hand, is by no means so-rare. 

 Welwitsch's Bat, for in- 

 stance — a West African spe- 

 cies — is remarkable for its 

 gorgeous coloration, the col- 

 ours being orange and black. 

 An Indian species, known as 

 the Pointed Bat, is said to be 

 so brilliantly coloured as to 

 resemble a gorgeous butterfly 

 rather than a bat. 



Ugliness is more common 

 than beauty amongst the bats, 

 and perhaps the ugliest of all 

 the tribe is the Naked Bat 

 of the Malayan region. It is 

 absolutely repulsive. The skin 

 is naked, save for a collar of 

 hair round the neck ; whilst 

 on the throat it gives rise to 

 an enormous throat-pouch, 

 which discharges an oily fluid 

 of a peculiarly nauseating 

 smell. On either side of the 

 body is a deep pouch, in which 

 the young are carried — a very 

 necessary provision, for they 

 would be quite unable to cling 

 to the body of the parent, as do 

 the young of fur-bearing bats, 

 on account of the naked skin. 



Of the great group of the Vampike-bats we can only make mention of the blood-sucking species. 

 These are natives of South America. It is to Dr. Darwin that we owe our first absolutely reliable 

 information about these little animals. Before the account in his Journal, it was uncertain to which 

 of the vampires belonged the unenviable distinction of being the blood-sucker. During the stay 

 of the great naturalist in Chili one was actually caught by one of his servants, as evening was 

 drawing on, biting the withers of a horse. In the morning the spot where the bite had been 

 inflicted was plainly visible, from it> swollen condition. These twospecies.it has beer: stated, 

 " are the only bats which subsist entirely on a diet of blood, yet it is possible that . . . some 

 of the Javelin-bats or their allies may on occasion vary their ordinary food with it." 



Phitt h, If Savilli-Ktnt , F.Z.S.] [ Cr,)din 



COBEGO 



Back titii' of the cobtgo y tvith the limbs extended^ showing the great size of the Jiying-mem- 



brancS) or parachute 



