A NATURALIST'S THEORY 223 



My third case is that of an old friend, a naturalist, 

 who lives an outdoor life. He too when a young 

 man slept badly until he found by chance that lying 

 north and south he slept well, and has followed that 

 rule for the rest of his life. Having a " curious mind," 

 he speculated as to the cause and came to the con- 

 clusion that we naturally rest better when our heads 

 are cool and our feet warm; that his rule is to lie 

 with his head north and his feet south, because it 

 must make a difference in the temperature with 

 head towards the north pole and feet pointing to 

 the torrid zone. One can't very well subscribe to his 

 theory, seeing that, the cold and hot zones being so 

 far apart, the difference of the earth's temperature in 

 a space of five feet nine inches from the crown of his 

 head to the soles of his feet can hardly be appreciable. 



However, a poor theory is better than no theory, 

 as it affords relief to the mind; and as he has now 

 rested comfortably in it for thirty-five years, he doesn't 

 want a new one. 



Two or three years ago I was speaking on this 

 subject to a friend who is now the rector of a country 

 parish, but before going into the Church he was an 

 employee of the Government of British Guiana. He 

 said that what I told him reminded him of a curious 

 experience he had in Guiana when it was his office 

 to visit the Indians at various points in the interior 

 of the country. He had Indians with him as guides, 

 and whenever they camped at night, after putting 

 up his hammock in the place he selected for it, near 

 the fire, they made a great fuss over putting up their 



