336 THE BOOK OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 



VAMPIRE BAT. — Short reference may be made to the Vampire 

 Bat, for in olden days this and other species were the objects of 

 superstitious dread. This Vampire Bat belongs to the Leaf-Mouth 

 or Spectre Bats, and when seen flying about silently it is perhaps 

 small wonder that these Vampires of the air should have become 

 associated with evil designs and foul deeds. We do not now live in 

 such a superstitious age — although it is remarkable to notice how 

 old customs and habits are still observed in remote country districts 

 — and seem more concerned in seeking for the truth and endeavour- 

 ing to learn about the real home life of these creatures of the wild, 

 whether of air, land or sea. 



The Vampire Bat is not so large as the Kalong, as the wing- 

 stretch does not exceed some two and a half feet. Yet it is the 

 largest of its family, and by no means a small species when com- 

 pared with some of the common kinds known to us. It has no 

 tail, and thus resembles its other fruit-eating relatives, for, as insects 

 are not captured, it is not so essential that the powers of flight 

 should be so rapid or exact, and whilst it seems agreed that it is 

 for the most part a fruitarian, there is every reason to believe that 

 it has some first cousins who are not so easily satisfied with a fruit 

 diet, but who "are in the habit of sucking the blood from the 

 bodies of the larger mammals, not excluding man, while the victim 

 is asleep." 



That the Vampire Bat is well calculated to be able to do this 

 is proved by an examination of its teeth, for these are very sharp- 

 pointed and "so placed as to make a triple puncture like the bite 

 of a leech." 



LONG-EARED BAT. — This well-named species represents, with the 

 Pipistrelle next to be described, the Insect-Eaters among these 

 mammals of the air. It is sometimes called the Rabbit-Eared Bat, 

 the large ears being somewhat like a miniature edition of those 

 possessed by the well-known rodent. When a large Bat is seen 

 in England it is usually this species, for it is fairly well distributed 

 in our country, and outside it is found in various other parts of 

 Europe as well as Northern Africa and Central and Western Asia. 

 Compared with the one or two Fruit-Eaters with which we have 

 already made brief acquaintance, the Long-Eared Bat is quite a 

 pigmy, for it only measures about four inches if the tail be included, 

 whilst the wing-structure is a little more than one foot. The large 

 ears form the most characteristic feature of this species, and as the 



