2o8 I N A G U A 



his evenings are curtailed and rendered useless. 



Nature has divided the animals of the earth into two spheres, 

 the hordes of the day and the equal swarms of the evening. 

 Large multitudes of creatures prefer the evening hours, some 

 because of the protection it gives them from their enemies, 

 some because their food is about at this time, and some because 

 of the restful quality of velvety darkness. Yet most of these see 

 well as is testified by the high development of their optic 

 systems. Thousands of species of moths feed upon nocturnal 

 flowers, many of which are beautifully colored; and these same 

 moths hide in the shadow of leaves and under pieces of bark 

 at the approach of the glaring, too obvious daylight. 



Consider, for example, the owls. In the dead of night when 

 human eyes are ineffectual, they go hunting. Flying low over 

 the meadows they seek tiny prey, mere meadow mice, brown 

 shadows in a black world— and find them. Compared to the per- 

 ceptions of an owl our own vision is a dull thing, susceptible 

 only to the most blatant colors. To an owl the shadows of a 

 deep woods or the starlight over a marsh must be as daylight 

 is to us. Can we say with any degree of certainty that an owl 

 does not find the night-light as full of tone as we find the sun- 

 shine? And, may it not be a more restful coloring? Temperate 

 climate people who live long in the tropics soon tire of the 

 gaudy colors of that region and yearn for the softer, more 

 pastel greens and browns of northern zones. 



Shortly after my return from the trip around the island, 

 which was completed two days after the passing of Lantern 

 Head, I had an interesting experience. I arrived home hungry, 

 inexpressibly tired, and unbelievably ragged. As soon as I had 

 taken care of my specimens and had jotted down the observa- 

 tions I did not want to forget, I cast thoughts of work aside and 

 spent the next few days relaxing, catching up on lost sleep, and 

 indulging in the luxury of doing nothing. I loafed in the pool 



