A NATURALISTS NOCTUARY. 69 



bird one makes up one's mind to award him the prize in the 

 philharmonic contest, but then one feels that the other com- 

 petitors would object, with some show of reason, that the 

 peacock is disqualified, since, while they bring their music 

 to one's residence, it is usually necessary to leave the bung- 

 alow in order to hear the peacock. He shuns the habita- 

 tions of the unholy. 



Before leaving the noisy members of the fauna of the 

 night, the koel should be mentioned ; for it, although not a 

 night bird, has often so much to say that it is unable to get 

 it all in during the day and consequently talks during 

 much of the night. 



We must now give the quieter animals their innings. 

 Midway between the quiet and noisy noctivagous animals 

 comes the scorpion. This little creature makes no noise 

 itself, but often causes others to do so. During the day it 

 lies up in the clefts of rocks, in old boots, or other conve- 

 nient places, and as the shades of night steal over the land 

 it creeps forth, with tail jauntily cocked over its head, 

 seeking whom it may devour. Its prey consists chiefly of 

 insects, which it stings to death and then demolishes at its 

 leisure ; these poor creatures, having no voice to speak 

 of, perish without our being aware of the tragedy that 

 is taking place within a few feet of us. It is when a 

 scorpion bites a dog or the chaukidar that one hears sound 

 in its most concentrated and virulent form. 



The innings of the silent brethren of the night will, 

 perforce, be very short, for want of space prevents any- 

 thing being said of the snakes, which, like other wicked 

 creatures, love the darkness ; of the black-beetles which 

 gaily career over the floor the moment the light is extin- 

 guished ; of the busy ants, who seem to work harder, if that 

 be possible, during the night, than they did during the day ; 

 of the termites, which in one night will construct a tunnel 

 two yards long ; of the mighty crowd of insects which 

 merrily dance round each lamp ; of the lizard who devours 

 those insects until he looks as though he would suffer the 



