The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-06-02
ANIMALS IN sleep
All Sorts of Odd Pastures, From
Heads Down to Heads Up.
ONLY MAN LIES ON HIS BACK.

Standing During Slumber 10 Not Un-
common Among Animals, and Some
times ons Leg Serves as a Support.
Poses of the Sloths and tho Lemurs.
Sleep indeed Is "gentle thing" 1t
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 postures
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 ma 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 Malayar
region. In this they differ from al
other birds. which invariably sleep
with the head turned tailward ovel
the back and the beak thrust In among
the feathers between the wing and the
body, not under the wing, as is com
monty believed. No explanation has
ever been offered to account for thl'
strange habit. It Ia followed even by
the penguins, wherein the feathers are
so short as to fail completely to cove
even the back. Owls are. perhaps. thu
only exception to the rule.
| And, by the way, the only other AMI
mails which thus turn the head back
ward after this fashion during sleel
are certain peculiar tortoises knowI
as "side necked" tortoises. Certain
birds sleep while resting on one lea
This curious pose Is well seen In loni
legged birds like stOrks and gulls
Ducks generally sleep on open water
and to avoid drifting southward, ant
therefore into the danger zone, the
keep constantly padding with on
foot, so that the body always is eli
cling round the chosen sleeping area.
The sloths sleep suspended by thei
feet and the head tucked in betwee
the foreIegs. The no less remarkabl
African pottos. or slow lemurs, assum
u similar pose, but they attach then
selves to vertical instead of II hor
zontal b0ugh, so that the body rest
with the head upward. No anims
save man sleeps on his back.
Some animals are said never to slee
and this because the eyes are neve
closed. The hares, snakes and iishe
are commonly supposed to enjoy thI
unenviable distinction. The notion L
however, quite erroneous Whale an
their kin are often quoted as sleeples
creatures 1t ls supposed that IL the
made this mistake they would promp
ly drown!
As rule darkness induces slee
With many animals, however, the r
verse Is the case, as with the bats an
owls, for example. This reversal I
the usual order has been brougl
about by the nature of the feedir
habits.
Finally one comes to the questio
Where does sleep begin2 This is /
no means easily answered. One Is 1
cliped to draw the line at the insect
But since all living things-plants I
well as anlmals-display periodic
states of quiescence, perhaps we she
be near the truth In regarding slet
as universal among living things,
the case OF plants 1t is enforced
darkness. save in the case of maj
bacteria and fungi, which. like e'
deeds. grow under the cover OF daT
ness, illustrated London News.