The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-08-06
ANIMALS IN SLEEP
All Sorts Of Odd Pastures, Fre,..
Heads Down to Heads Up.
ONLY MAN LIES ON HIS BACK.

Standing During Siunber ls Not uE-
common Among Animals, and Some
times ons Leg Serves as supps..
Poses of the Sioths and the Lemurs
Sleep indeed is II gentle thing. X
is the supremest form of rest. Our
notions of rest during sleep however
are likely to he little upset when we
come to survey the different postures
assumed by various animals during
sleep.
To begin with the human race. The
majority of mankindA probably sleep
lying upon the right or left side of the
body and with the knees drawn up
toward the chin But certain African
tribes, for example. lie upon the back
with the head. or rather the back of
the neck resting on Il bar of wood sup
ported on two short pillars
The elephant. apparently invariably
and the horse commonly sleep stand
ing. This is really astonishing. Aside
from the apparent difficulty Of main
tanning the balance Of the. body dur
ing these long periods of unconscious
ness, one would have supposed that A
recumbent position in the case of both
these animals was imperative Cattle
and their kind commonly sleep lying
down and during many hours Of the
day they lie down. as when chewing
the cud
More curious still there are creatures
which invariably sleep hanging head
downward suspended by their hind
feet. The bats afford case in point
Among the birds we meet with the
same strange habit in the little hang
ing parrots of India and the Malayan
region In this they differ from all
other birds. which invariably sleep
with the head turned tailward over
the back and the beak thrust in among
the fenthers between the wing and the
body, not under the wing, rs lis com
monty believed. No explanation has
ever been offered to account for this
strange habit. 1t is folIowed even b.
the peng,iins, Wherein the feathers are
so short as to fail completely to cover
even the hack Owls are. perhaps. the
only exception to the rule
And. by the way. the only other am
mails which thus turn the head back
ward after this fashion during sleep
are certain peculiar tortoises known
as side necked" tortoises Certain
birds sleep while resting on one leg.
This curious pose is well seen in long
legged birds like storks and gulls
Ducks generally sleep OH open wafer
and to avoid drifting southwark, and
therefore into the danger zone. they
keep constantly padding with one
foot. SO that the body always is cir
cling round the chosen sleeping area
The sloths sleep suspended by their
feet and the head tucked in betweel,
the foreIegs. The no less remarkable
African pottos. or slow lemurs. assume
similar pose. but they attach them
selves to a vertical instead of hor
zOntal bough. so that the body rest~
with the head upward No anina
save man sleeps on his back
Some animals are said never to sleep
and this because the eyes are never
closed The hares. snakes and fishes
are commonly supposed to enjoy this
unenviable distinction The notion is.
however. quite erroneous Whale and
their kin are often quoted as sleepless
creatures 1t is supposed that if the,
made this mistake they would prompt
~ drown.
AS a rule darkness induces sleep
With many animals. however. the re,
verse is the case. as with the bats and
owls. for example This reversal o!
the usual order has been brought
about by the nature of the feeding
habits.
Finally one comes to the question
Where does sleep begin: This is b..
no means easily answered One is III
clined to draw the line at tire insects
But since ;lll living things plants a
well rs animals display periodical
states Of quiescence. perhaps we sfal
be near the truth in regarding sleep
as universal among living things. II,
the case Of plants it Is enforced BY
darkness. save in the case of man,
bacteria and fungi which, like ev1
deeds. grow under the cover of dark
ness Illustrated London News.