XXVII. THE SLEEPING HOMES OF 

 ANIMALS 



As animals' beds are almost the only pieces of furniture 

 which they construct, so their sleeping-places or bed- 

 rooms represent most nearly their notion of ' home.' 

 The place selected to pass the hours of sleep, whether 

 by night or day, is more often than not devoid of any 

 efforts at construction. It is chosen for some qualities 

 which strike the owner as suitable for rest and quiet, 

 and from that moment it arouses in the animal mind 

 some part of the human sentiment which we know as 

 4 the love of home.' This association of ideas with 

 their sleeping-places is entirely distinct from the so- 

 called * homing instinct,' or sense of direction. It is a 

 sentiment, not a mental process, and is exhibited by 

 creatures which are not commonly credited with memory 

 or the power of thought. Some butterflies, for example, 

 return regularly to the same place to sleep, and their 

 proverbial flightiness does not prevent them from 

 entertaining the sentiment of home. The first vindi- 



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