Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-09
ANIMAL SLEEP.

ANIMAL SLEEP
In Many Cases slumber IS Apt to BE
broken.
From the London Spectator.
Though many animals look on sleep as a
luxury, and make comfortable beds for its
enjoyment, as was shown in the Spec
tator" of December l. others sleep but lit
tie; and their slumbers are so light that
they seem to have the power of becoming
inStantaneously awake, however Sountily
they may have been sleeping. 1t is COM
monty said of some creatures that they
sleep with one eye OPEN The inStanta-
neous transition by which, when Weakened,
they pass into action, such flight and
escape, with full possession of their facul
ties. almost suggests that they have some
additional sense, which takes the form of
vigilance in sleep, and remains conscious
when all other consciousness is lost This
is easy but not a satisfactory eXplana-
ton of this quick recovery of sense by
sleeping animals, for it attributes to them
faculty not possessed by man, under
conditions in which the life Of men and
animals would naturally be supposed to
differ least-that is, when the use of their
higher faculties is for a time partially sus-
pended.
broken and timid form of animal sleep in
the greater number of species is not such
as they would naturally choose, but is the
result of habits acquired. and transmitted
in centuries of danger and avoidance Of
their enemies, and that the same causes
which have modified the hours of sleep
have also modified its character. OF the
animals which, when wild. now sleep by
day, snatching broken periods of unrest
ful slumber as and where they can, not
twentieth part are nisht-feeders by nature
or choice. The true nocturnal animals are
those which can only find their food at
night with the exception of the owls and
opossums. which are partly insectivorous,
they are nearly all insect-eaters, bats le-
murs. lorises and nightjars: and though
the last, like the Owls, do move with ra-
pldity and some precision when once dis
turbed, the others might be distinguished
from those creatures which are only noc-
turnal by necessity, by the absence of that
Wakefulness in sleep which the latter pos
sess In such a marked degree.
A Deep Repose.
The bats. lemurs and lorises are during
the day stepped and drugged with slumber
If once discovered they make 70 effort to
escape; like the opossums. which let the
BLACK fellows chop them out of ;h,,;r
holes in the hollow trees without moving
from their sleeping places, it does not
seem possible for them to awaken. Light
benumbs their faculties like freezing cold
and they seek darkness with the same in
stinct that human being with senses be-
numoed by sickness demands more light
Eats, the only purely nocturnal animals in
this country, show this characteristic i'm
it's completest form. Their daylight sleep
paraly2es them. though not because they
are una BILE to see and fly with safety in the
sunlight, for they can do both. But If
handled and disturbed they make no effort
even to spread their wings, and seem nm
able to shake off the drowsy influence.
Not even the great night-f1ying moths are
so completely the slaves of this unyield-
ing habit of diurnal Sleep
Contrasted with this deep repose the
slumber of the great body of herbivoro,,s
hat
be doubted whether their senses are ever
so completely at rest as to deserve the
name OF sleep at all. In human sleep the
sense of hearing is that which remains
awake longest, and to which the brain
most readily responds. But in sound and
heavy sleep hearing often suggests a long
tram OF thought in dreams before the
brain awakenS to q sense of reality In
most sleeping animals it's warning il in
Simultaneous, and the faculties obey the call
Tor action with no apparent interval of in
ertia. A sleeping fox will RISE gallon off
and dodge the hounds with as much cool
ness and knowledge of the ground as if it
had been surprised on the prowl. with all
or Its wits awake. 1t may have allowed
the pack to approach fatally near; but
when once reused it is wholly awake-not
drowsy. bewildered or confused.
The Larger Animals
Hares seem never to sleep: however
closely they may lie in their forms, the eye
is alert and vigilant Stays sleep soundly
when watched by their hinds But a soli-
tary stag. sleeping on a hillside retains the
two senses of hearing and scent in full
Vlgor Deer stalkerS have discovered by
experiment that the sleeping senses of the
stag are sensitive up to distance of at
least 200 yards on the windward side
Between the drowsy sleep of the nocturnal
animals and the representative sleep of
those which spend their lives in constant
rear OF their enemies. place must be
fO1lnd nj al, ,lor,
the large carnivcra, and that of domestic
animals; the former have no enemies TO
fear except man, ard the latter, protected
by man, enjoy to the full the blessing of
natural rest. Tigers are frequently found
fast asleep in the daytime. Native hunters
have been known to track them after a
kill to the place in which they We're ly-
ing fast asleep and gorged with food, and
to shoot them they lie When taking
its midday repoSe In districts where il is
little disturbed, the tiger does not always
retire to place of security, like the bear,
or even the leopard, which usually sleeps
on the branch of a tree. 1t Just lies down
in some convenient spot, either shady or
warm, according to the weather, and there
sleeps almost regardless of danger They
have been found lying in dry nullahs. un-
der trees. and even in the grass of the hill
sides, unobserved, until their diSturber
came within few yards of them Gen.
Douglas Hamilton. when shooting in the
Dandilly forest, came upon a tigress and
two cubs lying fast asleep on their backs,
with their paws sticking up in the air. I'M
der clump of bamboos. When ne was
within few yards of the group one raised
it's head, and, without moving its body,
quietly looked at him along the line of its
body between its paws.
Dogs, which are at once the drowsiest
and most wakeful of domestic animals ac-
cording to their state of mind and circum-
stances. seem to sleep lightly or heavily at
will. Nothing can be more slow, reluctant
and lesurely than the enforced waking OF
a petted house dog when 1t does not wish
to be disturbed. 1t will remain deaf to
call, twitch its feet If tickled. but not I'M
close its eyes, and finally stretch ard yawn
like sleepy child. But mention something
interesting to the same dog when sleeping,
such as the word walk" or click the lock
of a gun, and it is on its feet in an instant,
and ready for enterprise. Thus, animals
seem capable of three forms or degrees
Of sleep-one the deep stupor of the noe
trrnal creatures; second, the semi-human
slumber OF carnivorous and domesticated
animals, which have n power of vigilance
at command, and, lastly. the vigilant sleep
of the prosecuted rumirant and rodent
tribes.
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