ANIMALS IN THE DARK 149 



never heard of oxen or cows being liable to panic in 

 darkness, unless from causes which would affect them 

 equally in the daytime, such as the sight or smell of 

 blood, or the sudden appearance of a herd of strange 

 cattle near their feeding-ground. 



As nearly all wild animals feed after sunset with an 

 increased sense of security, and are then bold and con- 

 fident where during the hours of daylight they are 

 timid and suspicious, these terrors of the night among 

 domesticated animals call for some special explanation. 

 We can hardly assume that they have developed 

 ' nerves ' from artificial breeding and constant contact 

 with man, except in the case of a few highly-bred dogs 

 and horses ; neither is there reason to believe that one 

 species of ruminant animal is more averse to darkness 

 than another. A probable explanation is that among 

 all wild animals man is the chief object of fear, and as 

 man cannot see in the dark, they gain a respite by night 

 from their most besetting apprehension. The fear of 

 carnivorous wild beasts is only secondary. But in the 

 case of the domesticated animals the fear of man is 

 exchanged for confidence, and wild beasts become their 

 sole object of dread. In all countries where these are 

 found, especially the wolf, the leopard, the lion, and 

 the puma, the night becomes to domesticated animals 

 a time of intense apprehension, having a definite object 

 in some particular prowling beast. Darkness in itself 



