1842.] Megadermata and certain other Vespertilionida. 257 



particular species of butterfly, inhabiting Cuba, is much preyed upon to- 

 wards the evening by different species of Bats, adds " principally the 

 Phillostoma Jamaicense [Arctibeus Jamaicensis, Leach]. By the way," 

 remarks this observer, " in the 2d edition of the Regne Animal, the 

 author says of the Phillostomes, ' Ce sont des animaux d'Amerique, 

 qui ont l'habitude de sucer le sang des animaux ;' I can only say that 

 this is not only quite untrue as respects the Cuban species, but perfectly 

 impossible [!] . The Ph. Jamaicense, for instance, lives on fruits and 

 winged insects, in search of which latter it will be found in bed rooms. 

 The Vampyre Bat of South America is also a Phyllostoma of Cuvier 

 and Geoffroy ; but until some person having pretension to the name of 

 naturalist shall establish the fact on personal observation, I shall as 

 readily believe that it sucks the blood of men as that the Caprimulgus 

 sucks the milk of goats." — Trans. Zool. Soc, I, 187. 



This is rather a sweeping denunciation of the detailed assertions of 

 Condamine, Steedman, and a host of others, though there is now every 

 reason to conclude that Mr. McLeay is perfectly correct, so far at least 

 as regards the Phyllostomata attacking large animals ; and concerning 

 this genus, too, he mentions a fact which is not generally known, stat- 

 ing that its members are partly frugivorous. The same is, however, 

 also noticed by Mr. Swainson, who informs us, (Class. Quadrupeds, p. 

 94,) that " several of the Brazilian Bats are likewise frugivorous, and 

 to such a degree, that we remember never having been able to secure a 

 ripe fig from a garden we possessed at Pernambuco, and where many of 

 these trees grew : nets, indeed, were spread over them, but the cunning 

 animals seemed to have the instinct of mice ; they crept under the 

 smallest opening, and completely baffled our endeavours to stop their 

 plunderings." But this author also notices the sanguivorous habits of 

 at least some South American species, mentioning that, " Our horses 

 and mules, after having arrived at the end of a day's journey, and been 

 turned out to graze, would be brought in by the guides in the morning 

 with their shoulders covered with blood." 



To be brief, in all instances wherein the habits of the Phillostomata 

 have been directly observed, the result has corresponded with the above 

 statements. Mr. Waterton, for example, tells us, in his celebrated 

 ' Wanderings,' " As there was a free entrance and exit to the Vampyre 

 in the loft where I slept, I had many a fine opportunity of paying atten- 



