Bat 
a lighter and brighter red ; the hair on the back is 
duUcf and linooth; and the membranes of the 
wings are likewife dufky. The colour, however, 
varies confiderably ; fome being entirely of a red- 
difh brown, and others dufls:y. 
Thcfe formidable animals are found in Guinea, 
Madagafcar, and in all the iflands from thence to 
the moft remote ones in the Indian Ocean. They 
likewife (as appears from the voyages of the late 
Captain Cook) abound in New Holland, the 
Friendly Ifles, the New Hebrides, and New Cale- 
donia. When they repofe, they ftick themfelves 
to the tops of the talleft trees, from whence they 
hang with their heads downwards ; but, when in 
motion, they have a very terrific appearance. 
They are feen in thefe iQands in immenfe multi- 
tudes; darkening the air, as well by day as by 
night; deilroying the ripe fruits of the country; 
and fom.etimes fettling- on animals,' and even man 
himfelf : they indifcriminately devour fruits, flefi-i, 
and inie6ts; and drink the juice of the palm-tree. 
They are heard at night ixi the forefts, at thediftance 
of more than two miles, making a horrible noife; 
but no foonerdoes day begin to approach, than they 
haften to retreat. Hardly any thing is fecure from 
the depredations of thefe noxious animals: they 
deftroy fov/ls, and various domeftic animals, 
unlefs preserved with the utmoft care ; and fre- 
quently faften on the very faces of the inhabitants, 
where they inflift dangerous wounds. Indeed, it 
is very probable, as BufFon remarks, that the an - 
cients h^e taken their ideas of harpies from thefe 
fierce arra voracious creatures; as they both feem to 
concur in many parts of their defcription, being 
equally deformed, greedy, uncleanly, and cruel. 
The Indians efleem the flefli of thefe animals pe- 
culiarly excellent, efpecially at certain feafons of 
the year, when they are very fat. The French, 
who inhabit the Ifle of Bourbon, boil them in their 
bouillon, in order to give it a relifli; while the ne- 
groes hold them in the greatefl abhorrence. Many 
of them are of much larger dimenfions than thofe 
already defcribed. Beckman meafured one that 
was five feet four inches from one tip of the wing to 
the other: and Dampier informs us, that he faw 
one which fpread farther than he could reach with 
his arms extended. Their bodies are generally 
from the fize of a pullet to that of a dove; their 
fcreamis dreadfal, and their fmell rank: they refift 
fiercely when attacked, and their bite is terrible. 
L,inn?eus gives this fpecies tlie title of Vampyre, 
fuppofing it to be the fame witli that which draws 
blood from perfons when afleep: but BufFon is of 
a contrary opinion, afcribing that faculty to a fpecies 
found only in the new world. Pennant, however, dif- 
fers from both thefe naturalifts : and very juftly ob- 
ferves, that there is reafon to imagine that this thirft 
after blood is not confined to the Bats of one con- 
tinent, nor of one fpecies ; for Bontius and Nieu- 
hoff inform us, that the Bats of Java generally at- 
tack thofe perfons who lie with their feet uncover- 
ed, whenever they can procure accefs into their 
apartments : and Gumilla, after defcribing a greater 
and a Icfler fpecies found on the banks of the Oro- 
noque, declares them to be equally greedy after 
human blood. 
Perfons who have been thus attacked by this 
dreadful phlebotomift, have fometimes paffed im- 
perceptibly from a found fleep into eternity. The 
Bat is fo dextrous as to infinuate it's fharp-pointed 
tongue unperceived into a vein, and to Rick the 
blood till it is fatiated ; at the fame time fanning 
BAT 
v/ith it's wings, and agitating the air, which in hoc 
climates lulls the fufferer into a more profound fieepo 
It is therefore dangerous to repofe in the open air^ 
or to leave any entrance unfecured by which thofe 
noxious animals can be admitted. They do not, 
however, always confine themfelves to human 
blood; for M. De Condamine, in his Voyage to. 
South America, informs us, that in certain parts of 
that continent the Bats have deftroyed all the cattle 
which were introduced there by the miffionaries 
for tlie purpofe of forming a fettlement. 
Bat, Vampyre, or Spectre. This animal^ 
though lefs formidable in it's appearance, is more 
milciiievoys than the former. It is furnifhed with a 
kind of horn at the extremity of the nofe ; and it's 
ears are extremely broadj long, and ered'. The 
hair on the body is afh-coloured and pretty long; 
the wino-s are full of ramified fibres ; the membrane 
extends from one hind-leg to the other; and the 
animal being without any tail, three tendons pro- 
ceed from the rump, which terminate at the edge 
of the membrane; It is a native of South America: 
where it lives in the palm- trees, and grows very 
fit. Ulloa informs us, that the Bats of this fpecies, 
towards the clofe of day, leave their retreats, and 
vifit the cities and towns, covering the ftreets like 
a canopy : and that they are the commion peft of 
men and animals ; eflfedlually deftroying the one, 
and confiderably diftreffing the other. 
Buffon fuppofes the Vampyre to be the princi- 
pal blood-fucker; and, indeed, it is agreed by all 
travellers, that this Bat is pofTelTed of the faculty of 
drawing blood from perfons fleeping in expofed 
fituations. But ftill a ftrong difficulty remains to 
be accounted for; namely, the manner in which 
it inflifts the wound. Ulloa fuppofes it to be 
done by a fingle tooth ; but this is evidently im-? 
poffible, fince the animal cannot faften on any thing 
with one tooth only, the teeth of the Bat being very 
even, and the mouth fmall. Buffon, therefore, fup- 
pofes the wound to be infli6led by the tongue : but 
others, with a greater degree of probability, ima- 
gine that the animal is endowed with fo great a 
pov/er of fu6lion, that tlie pores of the fl<in are 
thereby greatly enlarged, and the blood at length 
flows out ; and, in confirmation of this opinion, 
we are told, tliat the Vampyre cannot injure any 
animal which has a thick Ikin. 
Bat, Javelin. This fpecies, which is of the 
fize of the common Bat, is diftinguiflied by it's large 
pointed ears ; and particularly by, r^n erect mem- 
brane at the extremity of it's nofe, in the form of an 
ancient javelin, having two Upright proceffes on 
each fide. It has no tail; it's fur is cinereous; 
and it inhabits the warmer parts of America. 
Bat, Leaf. This animal, the feuille of Buf- 
fon, lias fmall round ears; and a membrane on the 
nofe, in the form of an oval leaf. It is furnifned 
with a web between the hind-legs, but has no 
tail. The fur is of a moufe-colour tinged with 
red ; and it's fize is equal to that of the com.mon 
Bat. It inhabits Jamaica, Surinam, and Senegal. 
In the former ifland it lives principally in caves in 
the woods, and it is faid to feed on the prickly 
pear. 
Bat, Cordated. The colour of the face of 
this animal is a light red, and that of the body ftill 
more pale. It's ears are very broad and long; 
and from the extremity of it's nofe runs a large 
membrane in the fliape of a heart. It has-a web 
between it's hind legs, but no tail; This fpecies 
inhabits Ceylon and the Molucca Iflands. . 
Bat, 
