SOUTH AMERICA. I75 

 attention to this nocturnal surgeon. He does not always Third 



Journey. 



live on blood. When the moon shone bright, and the 



fruit of the Banana-tree was ripe, I could see him ap- 

 proach and eat it. He Avould also bring into the loft, 

 from the forest, a green round fruit, something like the 

 wild Guava, and about the size of a nutmeg. There was 

 something also, in the blossom of the Sawarri nut-tree, 

 which was grateful to him ; for on coming up Waratilla 

 creek, in a moonlight night, I saw several Vampires 

 fluttering round the top of the Sawarri tree, and every 

 now and then the blossoms, which they had broken off, 

 fell into the water. They certainly did not drop olF 

 naturally, for on examining several of them, they appeared 

 quite fresh and blooming. So I concluded the Vampires 

 pulled them from the tree, either to get at the incipient 

 fruit, or to catch the insects which often take up their 

 abode in flowers. 



The Vampire, in general, measures about twenty-six 

 inches from wing to wing extended, though I once killed 

 one which measured thirty-two inches. He frequents 

 old abandoned houses and hollow trees ; and sometimes 

 a cluster of them may be seen in the forest hanging head 

 downwards from the branch of a tree. 



Goldsmith seems to have been aware that the Vampire 

 hangs in clusters, for in the " Deserted Village," speaking 

 of America, he says,— 



