246 WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA, 



early that they may be heard long before they 

 can be seen. 



That some birds require very little sleep indeed, 

 appears to be certain ; for I have heard the Nightin- 

 gale, Corncrake, and Peewit at almost every hour 

 of the day and night, too. Many people have 

 little idea that the first-named bird sings during the 

 day-time, as its notes are all but drowned in 

 the general woodland chorus. 



The Sedge Warbler sleeps amongst nettles, in 

 hedges and thickets; and if a stone or clod of earth 

 be thrown into the place where it is roosting the 

 bird will at once begin to rattle off its song. 



That birds may, upon occasion, mistake the rising 

 of the moon for the coming of another day I am fully 

 convinced ; for on the 3rd of June, 1893, I had 

 unmistakable proof of the fact at Slyfield Manor 

 House, near Cobham, Surrey. My friend, Mr. 

 Robert Harker, and I retired to rest at midnight, 

 and threw the lattice window of our bedroom wide 

 open, in order to listen to the nightingales, which 

 are particularly numerous in that neighbourhood. 

 The moon was just rising, and we were astonished 

 to hear a thrush commence to sing in close 

 proximity to the house. There could be no mis- 

 taking the fact, for we were both perfectly familiar 

 with every note of the species, and the bird con- 

 tinued to sing for some considerable time. I have 

 also heard the cuckoo sounding his name lustily 

 when it was quite dark. 



It is an interesting fact that such birds as stay 

 with us all the year round have about eight hours 

 more rest in mid- winter than in mid-summer; but 

 whether they spend a lot of this time awake, or 

 that a lower temperature conduces to more sleep, 

 it is difficult to say. Be this as it may, however, 



