146 ANIMALS IN THE DARK 



way, or feed, or move freely by night, is a short one ; 

 and its chief interest lies in the difficulty of accounting 

 for their dependence upon sunlight, while to other and 

 nearly allied creatures night is as clear as day. 



Among wild birds, other than those which feed by 

 night, all the hawks, pheasants, finches and buntings 

 are almost helpless in the dark, sleep heavily, and are 

 easily caught. Why, then, are the wood-pigeon, the 

 rook, and most of the small warblers perfectly alert 

 when once awakened at night, and able to fly through 

 woods and cover as easily as by day? Pheasants may 

 almost be picked off a tree by night, and are so helpless 

 that if they are driven down they often cannot see to 

 fly up again; sparrows and finches cannot see a bat- 

 fowling net, and trained hawks are quite helpless, and 

 have even been killed in the dark by rats, which the 

 hawks would eat themselves by day. Tame pigeons 

 are also helpless in the dark, or are so sleepy that they 

 do not know what they are doing. On the other hand, 

 wood-pigeons disturbed at night will dart off through 

 boughs and branches without hesitation or accident. 

 Common fowls are perfectly helpless at night, while 

 guinea-fowls are as quick-sighted as a plover. 



Among wild quadrupeds it is difficult to name one 

 which cannot see in the dark. From the elephant to 

 the hare they seem equally alert by night; and even 

 the prairie-dogs, in spite of their anxiety to be in bed 



