Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-05-15
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 one Leg Serves a. Support
Poses Of the Sioths and the 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 on bar Of wood sap-
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
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 a 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
body. not under the wing, as is COM
monty believed. No explanation has
ever been offered to account for this
strange habit. 1t 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
mails which thus turn the head back
ward after thisN fashion during sleep
are certain peculiar tortoises known
as "side necked" tortoises. Certain
birds sleep while resting on one leg.
This curious pose is we'll seen in long
legged birds like storks and gulls.
Ducks generally sleep on open water.
and to avoid drifting southwark, and
therefore into the danger zone. they
keep constantly padding with one
foot, 50 that the body always Is cir
cling round the chosen sleeping area.
The sloths sleep suspended by their
feet and the head tucked in between
the forelegs. The no less remarkable
African pottos. or slow lemurs. assume
a similar pose. but they attach them
selves to q vertical instead Of a 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. 1t Is supposed that If they
made this mistake they would prompt
ly 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 of
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 by
no means easily answered. One is in
clined to draw the line at the insects.
But since all living things-plants 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.-Illustrated London News.