THE VAMI'IHE-BAT. 
. 171 
panelling thorns. It is called hv the natives barba de tigre. 
jt was perhaps a tree of the berberideous family.* The 
Indians had kindled fires at the edge of the water. We 
^gain perceived, that their light attracted the crocodiles, 
Ull d even the porpoises (toninas), the noise of which inter- 
rupted our sleep, till the fire was extinguished. A female 
Jaguar approached our station whilst taking her young one 
0 drink at the river. The Indians succeeded in chasing her 
a way, but we heard for a long time the cries of the little 
Jaguar, which mewed like a young cat. Soon after, our great 
Was bitten, or, as the Indians say, stung, at the point 
q Ihe nose, by some enormous bats that hovered around 
1 Ur hammocks. These bats had long tails, like the Mo- 
t ° 8Sea : I believe, however, that they were Thyllostomcs, the 
n gue of which, furnished with papilla), is an organ of 
Xh° tl0n ’ au ^ ca P a hle of being considerably elongated, 
ue dog’s wound was very small and round ; and though he 
a Phbntivo cry when he felt himself bitten, it was 
th i ^k° m P a ’ n ! hut because he was frightened at the sight of 
hats, which came out from beneath our hammocks. 
Ui fL° acc idents are much more rare than is believed even 
the country itself. In the course of several years, not- 
j “standing we slept so often in the open air, in climates 
vampire-bats, t and other analogous species are so 
Where 
P°“unon, we were never wounded. Besides, the puncture 
tlxat°""" a y dangerous, and in general causes so little pain, 
d often does not awaken the person till after the hut 
'^Withdrawn. 
10 4th of April was the last day we passed on the Itio 
'inif l '°’ ve » e tatiou of its banks became more and more 
hadTT ' during several days, and particularly since we 
lr 0 the Mission of Ariclmnu, wo had suffered cruelly 
hand . G s<an S s °t insects, which covered our faces and 
as - They were not mosquitos, which have the appear- 
ed 1 0,1 the banks of tbe Apure, Ammania apurensis, Cordia 
# '°ides K ran< hfl || ra, Mollngo sperguloldes, Myosotis lithosper- 
fisonj.j’ f5 P' irmaooc ce diffusa, Coronilla occidentalis, Bignonia apurensis, 
hevr j>„ P uljesc ens, Ruellia viscosa, some new species of Jussieua, ar,d a 
tri c [, US t * le c °mposito family, approximating to Kolandra, be 
pira menthoides of M. Kunth. 
+ Verspertilio spectrum. 
