The Press., 1914-07-29
ANIMALS IN SLEEP
All Sorts of Odd Pastures, From
 Heads Down to Heads Up.
ONLY MAN LIES ON HIS BACK.

Standing During sIvmber Ia Not Un'
 common Among Animals, and Some
 times ons Leg Serves as a Support
 Poses of the SIoths and the Lemurs.
 Sleep indeed Is gentle thing" It is the supremest form of rest. Our notions of rest during sleep. however are likely to be little upset when we come to survey the different pastures assumed by various animals during sleep.
 To begin with the human race. The majority of mankind 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 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 taining the balance of the body dur ing these long periods of unconscious ness. one would have supposed that 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.
 s.S. o rn 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 feathers between the wing and the 1 body. not under the wing. as is com monly believed No explanation has ever been offered to account for this strange habit It is followed even by the penguins. wherein the feathers are so short as to fail completely to cover even the back Owls are. perhaps. the only exception to the rule.
 And. by the way. the only other ami rnalS 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 on open water. and to avoid drifting sOuthward. and therefore into the danger zone. they keep constantly paddling with one foot. so that the body always is cir ,.ling round the chosen sleeping area.
 The slOthS sleep suspended by their feet and the head tucked tn between the fOrelegS. The no less remarkable l African pOttOS. or slow lemurs. assume il similar pose. but they attach them selves to vertical instead of hOri zOntal bough. so that the body rests with the head upward. No animal 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. It Is supposed that if they made this mistake they would prompt. ly drown:
 As 8 rule darkness induces sleep With many animals. however. the re verse Is the case. as with the bats and owls. for example. This reversal of the usual order has been brought about by the nature of the feeding | habits.
 Finally one comes to the question Where does sleep begin2 This is by no means easily answered. One is in clIned to draw the line at the insects But since all living things-pIants as well as animals-display periodical states of Quiescence, perhaps we shall be near the truth in regarding sleep as universal among living things In the case of plants 1t is enforced by darkness. save in the case of many bacteria and fungi. which. like evil deeds. grow under the cover of dark ness, s,-Tllustrated London News.