NATURAL HISTORY. 27 



Vampire. I)arwin relates, that while travelling in Chili, 

 " We were bivouacking late one evening near Coquimbo, when 

 my servant, noticing that one of the horses was very restive, 

 went to see what was the matter, and fancying he could dis- 

 tinguish something, suddenly put his hand on the beast's 

 withers, and secured a Vampire. In the morning, the spot 

 where the bite had been inflicted was. easily distinguished, from 

 being slightly swollen and bloody." This Bat is placed among 

 the Phyllostomina, because the membrane on its nose re- 

 sembles a leaf. The length of its body is about six inches. 



SKULL OF BAT. HAIR OF BAT. 



. THE LONG-EARED BAT. 



The LONG-EARED BAT is found in most parts of Europe, and 

 is common in England. It may be seen any warm evening 

 flying about in search of insects, and uttering its peculiar 

 shrill cry. It is very common on Hampstead Heath. The 

 cars are about an inch and a half in length, and have a fold 

 in them reaching almost to the lips, from which peculiarity 

 the genus is called Plecotus. These Bats are very easily 

 tamed, and will takes flies and other insects from the hand. 

 One that I had in my own possession used to hang by the 

 wing-hooks during the whole of the day, and could hardly be 

 persuaded to move, or even to eat ; but when the evening 

 came on it became very brisk indeed, and after carefully 

 combing itself with its hind feet, it would eagerly seize a fly 

 or beetle and devour it, always rejecting the head, legs, and 

 wings. It was then very impatient to be released from the 

 cage, and would show its uneasiness by climbing about the 

 cage and fluttering its wings. It unfortunately died before 

 further investigations could be made, but during the short 



* Magnified about 200 diameters. 



