10 SLOTH TRIBE. 



closing the orifices of the ears, and preventing anything 

 noxious from entering. 



The Vampyre Bat. The size and appearance of these 

 bats are tremendous ; the extent of their membranes being 

 upwards of four feet, and their flight being oftentimes in 

 groupes, which darken the air. It is stated that, in New 

 Holland, at least 20,000 of them have been seen at the 

 same time, and within the space of a single mile. They 

 are very common along all the coasts of Africa and Mala- 

 bar. The denomination of Vampyre has been given to 

 them, from the circumstance of their silently sucking the 

 blood of animals and men, whilst asleep in the open air. 

 This they do by inserting their pointed tongue into a 

 vein. And so imperceptibly is this operation performed ? 

 that the sufferer is sometimes not roused to a sense of his 

 danger, until so exhausted from loss of blood, as scarcely 

 to be able to escape it. These animals also subsist on 

 various kinds of fruit. 



The length of their body is from nine inches to a foot ; 

 and their fur is of a deep reddish-brown colour. The 

 membranes and ears are naked and blackish : the latter 

 are pointed. The head is shaped somewhat like that of a 

 fox. 



Several other species of Bats, in hot climates, have a 

 propensity to blood. 



ORDER II. BRUTJ. 



4. SLOTH TRIBE. 



In many respects these animals have a distant resem- 

 blance both to the monkeys and lemurs. Their motions, 



