Qg THE VAMPYRE EAT. 



deep reddish brown. The head is shaped like that 

 of a Fox ; the nose is sharp and black, and the 

 tongue pointed and terminated by sharp prickles. 

 The ears are naked, blackish, and pointed ; and the 

 wings similar in colour to those of the Common 

 Bat*. 



These animals are found in several parts of the 

 EJst Indies, and in all the Indian islands ; in New 

 Holland, the Friendly Isles, New Caledonia, and 

 South America. — They fly from sun-set to sun-rise, 

 and reside during the day in the hollow trees. They 

 are not carnivorous, but live principally on fruit, 

 and are so fond of the juice of the palm tree, that 

 they will intoxicate themselves with it till they fall 

 senseless to the ground. They skim the water with 

 perfect ease in their sportive moods, and frequently 

 dip into it to wash themselves. Mr. Forster and 

 several other writers inform us that they swarm like 

 Bees, hanging near one another in vast clusters. At 

 least five hundred were seen by this gentleman, 

 hanging, some by their fore, and others by their 

 hind legs, in a large tree, in one of the Friendly 

 islands f. Finch says, that " they hang by the claws 

 to the bows of trees near Surat, in such vast clus- 

 ters, as would surprise a man to sec ; and the noise 

 and squealing they niake is so intolerable, that 'twere 

 a good deed to bring two or three pieces of ord- 

 nance, and scour the trees, that the country might 

 be rid of such a plague as they are to it .j'." In a 



* Shaw, i. 145. 

 t Forstcr's Cb<;ervations on Cook's second VoyaG;e, ISO. 

 X l"iji«li's Tjiivcl!. into the East, iu Harris's Collection, i. 84. 



