348 
BAT. 
this blood-thirsty animal, and the manner in which 
it is supposed to proceed to accomplish its purpose. 
It is said to perform the operation by inserting its 
aculeated tongue into the vein of a sleeping person, 
with so much dexterity as not to be felt ; at the 
same time fanning the air with its large wings, and 
thus producing a sensation so delightfully cool, that 
the sleep is rendered still more profound, and the 
unfortunate person reduced almost to death before 
he awakes. 
Captain Stedman, during one of his military ex- 
cursions through the woods of Surinam, was bitten 
by one of these creatures while sleeping in his ham- 
mock. He was extremely alarmed one morning 
about four o’clock, when he awoke and found him- 
self weltering in congealed blood without feeling 
the least degree of pain. He has thus described the 
manner in which they inflict the wound : u Know- 
ing, by instinct, that the person they intend to at- 
tack is in a sound slumber, they generally alight 
near the feet, where, while the creature continues 
fanning with his enormous wings, which keeps one 
cool, he bites a piece out of the tip of the great 
toe, so very small indeed that the head of a pin 
could scarcely be received into the wound, which is 
consequently not painful ; yet through this orifice 
he continues to suck the blood, until he is obliged 
to disgorge. He then begins again, and thus con- 
tinues sucking and disgorging till he is scarcely able 
to fly ; and the sufferer has often been known to 
sleep from time into eternity. Cattle they generally 
