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which is produced into an enormously long pouch, while the 
opposite or pyloric end is reduced to a mere rudiment — the 
highly nutritious food (blood) requiring very little digestion, 
but needing a capacious chamber for its speedy reception. 
Although this is the only bat perfectly organised to live by 
blood-sucking exclusively, nevertheless it is probable that various 
other kinds practise blood-sucking as at least one part of their 
mode of nutrition. 
The late distinguished zoologist belonging to the Zoological 
Society — Mr. Blyth — has observed this habit in a leaf-nosed bat 
of India, one belonging to quite another family from that to 
which the American vampire belongs. The bat in question is 
called Megaderma Lyra. Respecting its habits Mr. Blyth 
tells us* as follows : — 
“ Chancing one evening to see a rather large bat enter an 
outhouse from which there was no other egress than by the 
doorway, I was fortunate in being able to procure a light, and. 
thus proceed to the capture of the animal. Upon finding it- 
self pursued, it took three or four turns round the apartment, 
when down dropped what at the moment I supposed to be its 
young, and which I deposited in my handkerchief. After a 
somewhat tedious chase, I then secured the object of my pur- 
suit, which proved to be a fine pregnant female of Megaderma 
Lyra. 
“ 1 then looked at the other bat which I had picked up, and, to 
my surprise, found it to be a small Vespertilio , nearly allied to 
the European V. pnpistrellus, which is exceedingly abundant, 
not only here, but apparently throughout India, being the same 
also, to all appearance, as a small species which my friend Dr. 
Cantor procured in Chusan. The individual now referred to 
was feeble from loss of blood, which it was evident the 
Megaderma had been sucking from a large and still bleeding 
wound under and behind the ear ; and the very obviously 
suctorial form of the mouth of the vampire was of itself suffi- 
cient to hint the strong probability of such being the case. 
During the very short time that elapsed before I entered the 
outhouse, it did not appear that the depredator had once 
alighted : but I am satisfied that it sucked the vital current 
from its victim as it flew, having probably seized it on the wing, 
and that it was seeking a quiet nook where it might devour 
the body at leisure. I kept both animals wrapped separately 
in my handkerchief till the next morning, when, procuring a 
convenient cage, I first put in the Megaderma , and, after 
observing it some time, I placed the other bat with 
it. No sooner was the latter perceived than the other fastened 
* In the “ Journal of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta/’ vol. xi. p. 225, 
quoted in P.Z.S. 1872, p. 713. 
