146 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 
Limited as is our space, we cannot pass over the SucKER-FooTED Bats. These are met 
with, strangely enough, in countries so far apart as Brazil and Madagascar. The suckers from 
which they derive their name, in the Brazilian species, are small circular, hollow disks, attached 
to the thumb and the sole of the foot, recalling the suckers of the cuttle-fish and brown water- 
beetle. By their means the animal is enabled to climb over smooth vertical surfaces. 
A white bat is a rarity in the bat world. We cannot therefore afford to pass without mention 
the fact that Centrai and South America possess two species of WuITE Bats. This colour is 
probably developed for protection’s sake, the bats being found BORNE between the cas leaves 
of a cocoanut-palm. Bril- , iS ee sapere 
liant coloration,on the other | 
hand, is by no means so rare. 
WELWwiItTscn’s Bat, for in- 
stance—a West African spe- 
cies—is remarkable for its 
gorgeous coloration, the col- 
ours being orange and black. 
An Indian species, known as 
the PoInTED Bat, is said to be 
so brilliantly coloured as to 
resemble a gorgeous butterfly 
rather than a bat. 
Ugliness is more common 
than beauty amongst the bats, 
and perhaps the ugliest of all 
the tribe is the Nakep Bat 
of the Malayan region. It is 
absolutely repulsive. Theskin 
is naked, save fora collar of 
hair round the neck; whilst 
on the throat it gives rise to 
an enormous throat-pouch, 
which discharges an oily fluid 
of a peculiarly nauseating 
smell. On either side of the 
body is a deep pouch, in which 
the young are carried—a very 
necessary provision, for they Q 
would be quite unabie to cling Photo by W. Saville-Kent,F.Z8) | Croydon 
to the body of the parent, as do ; ; bebe Sead ; 
the young at fur-bearing bats. Back view of the cobego, with the limbs extended, showing the great stze of the flying-mem- 
on account of the naked skin. 
Of the great group of the VAMPIRE-BATS we can only make mention of the blood-sucking species. 
These are natives of South America. It is to Dr, Darwin that we owe our first absolutely reliable 
information about these little animals. Before the account in his Journal, it was uncertain to which 
of the vampires belonged the unenviable distinction of being the blood-sucker. During the stay 
of the great naturalist in Chili one was actually caught by one of his servants, as evening was 
drawing on, biting the withers of a horse. In the morning the spot where the bite had been 
inflicted was plainly visible, from its swollen condition. These two species, it has beer: stated, 
“ are the only bats which subsist entirely on a diet of blood, yet it is possible that . . . some 
of the JAVELIN-BaTS or their allies may on occasion vary their ordinary food with it.” 
branes, or parachute 
