ANIMALS IN THE DARK 147 



by dark, are most alert if they are turned out of bed 

 into a dark room. 



There is evidence that, in spite of their ability to find 

 their way and to feed by night, animals are not exempt 

 from some forms of nervousness induced by darkness. 

 How far this affects the individual animal it is difficult 

 to tell ; but its effect is seen in the panics which seize 

 on animals at night, panics which seldom, if ever, occur 

 during the daytime. Whether these night-panics occur 

 among the wild animals that live in companies and 

 herds we have no sufficient means of ascertaining ; but 

 among domesticated creatures these terrors of the night 

 are not uncommon, and in some cases lead to serious 

 mischief. The most remarkable instance which has 

 occurred in late years in this country was some sudden 

 terror which affected the sheep on the hills reaching 

 from the downs west of Reading to the Chiltern Hills. 

 Reports came in from a very large number of parishes 

 that the flocks had that night broken loose from their 

 folds and scattered over the fields. The cause for so 

 widespread a panic was never ascertained, but it is well 

 known that sheep are liable to these frights by night. 

 The commonest cause is the appearance near the fold of 

 strange dogs, or even of an unknown man. Horses 

 are also very liable to be 'stampeded' in the dark. 

 Such mishaps are not common in this country, as when 

 horses are in any numbers together they are usually 



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