164 STUDIES IN THE FIELD AND FOREST. 



your only protection. The effect of this single toll 

 upon the mind at such a time cannot be described. 



I have as yet spoken only of sounds, which at mid 

 night are scarcely more impressive than sights. The 

 swarms of little fireflies that are wheeling and darting 

 about in the lowlands are pleasant objects, and are al 

 most the only creatures that can be seen, except perhaps 

 some night bird, as it passes like a dark spot over the 

 half luminous sky. But these little sparks of insect 

 life do not aggravate the impressions made by the dark 

 ness. There is nothing about them that excites the im 

 agination, or exalts the feelings. One can easily 

 imagine the terror with which the glaring eyes of the 

 jaguar must be behold by the midnight traveller in the 

 South American forest. The eyes of the owl, as seen 

 through the deep foliage, might produce similar though 

 inferior impressions ; but in our quiet woods imagina 

 tion is the source of all the terrors that might be felt on 

 witnessing any sudden visions of this bird. 



The night would afford no mean employment to the 

 naturalist, if he could but observe the midnight opera 

 tions of the still wakeful part of animated nature. 

 There are many nocturnal insects which, though not 

 easily discovered in the darkness, are then in motion 

 hovering among the foliage, or seeking the open blos 

 som-cup of some flower of the night. At this time 

 only can the active habits of these creatures be observed, 

 when even the deep shadows do not protect them from 

 the bat, the owl, and the goatsucker, who nightly de 

 stroy thousands of these beautiful insects, leaving their 

 torn wings and elegant plumage in the green forest 

 path, or lodged upon a leafy branch, and marking the 

 place of their destruction. 



