lOQ THE VAMPYRE BAT. 



the species that draws blood from people during 

 their sleep* : but there is reason to imagine, that 

 this thirst for blood is not confined to a single spe- 

 cies, but is coniaion to most of the Bat tribe. We 

 are informed that the Bats of Java seldom fail ta 

 attack those persons v/ho lie with their extremities 

 uncovered, whenever they can get access to them. 

 Persons thus attacked, have sometimes been near 

 passing from a sound sleep into eternity. The Bat 

 is so dexterous a bleeder as to insinuate its aculeated 

 tongue into a vein without being perceived, and 

 then suck the blood till it is satiated ; all the whrle 

 fanning with its wings, and agitating the air, in 

 that hot climate in so pleasing a manner, as to 

 throw the sufferer' into a still sounder sleep. — These 

 animals do not, however, conhne themselves to 

 human blood, for M. Condamine, in his voyage to 

 South America, says, that in his time they hadj in 

 certain parts, destroyed all the great cattle introduced 

 there b}' the Missionaries. 



Capt. Stedman, w^hilst in Surinam, v^'as attacked 

 during his sleep by a Vampyre Bat ; and as his ac- 

 count of this incident is somewJiat singular, and 

 tends to elucidate the fact, I shall extract it in the 

 language of his cwxi narrative. " I cannot here 

 (says he,) forbear relating a singular circumstance 

 respecting myself, v/z. that on waking about four 

 o'clock one morning in my hammock, I was ex- 

 tremely alarmed at finding myself weltering in 

 congealed blood, and without feeling any pain 

 v/hatever. Having started up, and rung for 



* ' " ■'■ ■ ! I f ill ■ -— ■■ » ■ ■'• " ■' ■' J ■ ' ■■ - - — ^i 



f Liua. CiasL 145. 



