NO. 5 MAMMALS OF PANAMA — GOLDMAN 209 



ern subspecies. I find Mexican specimens that fully equal his 

 measurements for typical D. rotundus, and Paraguayan examples 

 that exceed those measured by him. But, while individuals are 

 practically indistinguishable the southern race averages considerably 

 larger, the difference in size seemingly more noticeable in the skulls 

 than in external dimensions. The rather scanty material available 

 from Panama indicates that the region is inhabited by a form some- 

 what intermediate in size but nearest to D. r. murinus. 



A few vampires were found clinging in a recess of the high- 

 vaulted roof of a limestone cave in the forest near Cana. Four 

 secured as specimens had their stomachs distended with blood which 

 had thickened and become very dark in color. One of these that 

 had been knocked down was only partially disabled, and on being 

 rather incautiously handled suddenly snapped at my finger. The 

 canine teeth were not brought to bear, but the upper incisors neatly 

 scooped out and completely removed a bit of skin leaving a wound 

 from which blood flowed freely. In other parts of the same cave 

 were colonies of Hemiderma perspicillatum astecum, Hemiderma 

 castaneum, Glossophaga soricina leachii, Lonchophylla robusta, and 

 Lonchophylla concava. 



Three specimens of this species collected by W. W. Brown, Jr., 

 at Bogava were included by Bangs (1902, p. 51) in his list of 

 " Chiriqui Mammalia," and a single example taken by J. H. Batty 

 at Boqueron was recorded by Allen (1904, p. 79). Detailed measure- 

 ments of an adult female obtained by August Busck on Taboga 

 Island have been published by Miller (1912, p. 26). 



Of this vampire bat Dr. Linnaeus Fussell (see Hale, 1903, p. 244), 

 who had medical charge of a U. S. Government surveying party in 

 eastern Panama in 1870, says in his report: " The bites of vampire 

 bats should be referred to, as the stories told of them are by many 

 deemed rather apochryphal. We were troubled with them more or 

 less during the whole time we were out, but ordinarily they did not 

 prove a serious annoyance ; toward the latter part of our trip, how- 

 ever, some one was bitten almost every night; one night, the 13th of 

 May, nine men were bitten. The men were rarely awakened by the 

 bites, which, however, bled freely, sufficient blood being usually lost 

 to saturate the clothing, and to show its effects very perceptibly in 

 the loss of color and general feeling of weakness experienced." 



While the fact that vampire bats, presumably of this species, attack 

 man is fairly well established, such attacks seem to be rare in Panama. 

 No instance came under my observation, and many people habitually 



