VAMPIRE BAT 



0026 



VAN BUREN 



VAMPIRE BAT, the name applied to two 

 species of bloodsucking bats found in Central 

 America and tropical South America, which at- 

 tack fowls, men and other warm-blooded ani- 

 mals. The common vampire bat is a small, 

 reddish-brown animal, about three inches long, 

 with large, spreading ears, a sharp tip on the 

 nose, and keen, triangular front teeth, which 

 inflict razorlike wounds. Its food canal is too 

 narrow for the passage of anything but blood. 

 It is said that the bats sometimes attack people 

 who are sleeping, and that they can suck a 

 considerable amount of blood before the vic- 

 tims awake. The sickness which follows the 

 attack of these creatures, however, is due to 

 inflammation more than to blood loss. These 

 bats have been confused with fruit-eating va- 

 rieties for years, and fabulous stories are told 

 about their malignance. Their peculiar name 

 is derived from the superstitious legend of the 

 vampire (which see). 



VANADIUM, vana'dium, a rare metal re- 

 sembling silver in appearance. It is five and 

 one-half times heavier than water. Vanadium 

 never occurs free in nature, but exists in small 

 quantities in certain ores of copper, lead and 

 iron, from which it is extracted with great diffi- 

 culty. When a compound of vanadium and 

 chlorine is heated in hydrogen, the free metal 

 appears in the form of a silver colored crystal- 

 line powder. As a metal it is of no practical 

 value, but a number of its components are used 

 in the arts. A compound of vanadium and 

 ammonium is used in the manufacture of black 

 aniline dye and in making vanadium ink. An 

 acid which exists in the form of a bright yel- 

 low powder is used as the substitute for gold 

 bronze, and some of its compounds are used 

 sparingly in medicine. Metallic vanadium is 

 often added to steel, to which it gives unusual 

 strength and elasticity, qualities especially de- 

 sirable in the making of automobiles. 



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THE >TORY OF THE EIGHTH PRESIDENT^ ^ M. 



AN BUREN, MARTIN (1782-1862), an 

 American statesman, eighth President of the 

 United States. "Little Van," or "the Little 

 Magician," as he was often called, was one of 

 the most able politicians in American history. 

 He was for years a member of the famous "Al- 

 bany Regency," which controlled New York 

 politics, and was popularly known as its "direc- 

 tor;" but he was far more than a politician, for 

 he combined the statesman's foresight with the 

 politician's tact. As to men and unimportant 

 measures he was often silent, but on funda- 

 mental questions he was bold in championing 

 even the unpopular side. Against every pos- 

 sible attack he held to his principles, "to which 

 he adhered in evil or good report." 



Throughout his long life Van Buren suffered 

 from many political accusations, but his private 

 life was above question. Although economical 

 by nature, he lived easily in the state of a 

 gentleman, and in social intercourse he was al- 



ways courteous and dignified. Intensely parti- 

 san though he was, he never allowed political 

 opinions to intrude on his personal friendships. 

 His great rival, Henry Clay, was also one of his 

 closest friends. His tact stood him in good 

 stead no less with his political opponents than 

 with judges or juries before whom he ex- 

 pounded a case. Although never rhetorical, he 

 had a disconcerting habit of striking at the 

 point, a habit which won cases for him as well 

 as votes for laws he sought to have enacted. 

 Take him all in all, he stands well to the front 

 among the Presidents. 



Martin Van Buren was born at Kinderhook, 

 Columbia County, New York, on December 5, 

 1782. His father, Abraham Van Buren, was a 

 small farmer. Martin received some elemen- 

 tary training in the village schools, but at the 

 age of fourteen began to work in the office of a 

 local attorney. There he stayed for six years, 

 beginning as office boy, then serving in turn as 



