THE WORLD OF ANIMAL LIFE 



larger this " pupil " is, the more hght it can take in ; and even in 

 our own eyes the pupil is larger at some times than at others. 



What happens if we walk from a dark room into a well-lighted 

 one? We are dazzled, as we say, for some moments. The fact is, 

 that in the dark the pupils of our eyes expand, so as to take in 

 more light, and when we walk into a light room, they take in more 

 light than we want, until the pupils have had time to decrease to 

 their usual size. 



The pupils of a cat's eyes increase in the dark far more than 



our own. When 

 you look at a 

 cat's eyes in the 

 broad daylight, 

 the pupils are 

 mere narrow 

 ., slits. 



' But if you 



cover the cat's 

 face with your 

 hand for a few 

 minutes, and 

 then look again at her eyes, you will find that the pupils have 

 increased in size so much, as to spread over almost the whole of 

 the eyeball. And when you remove your hand, she is dazzled 

 for a moment or two, just as we are when we walk from the dark 

 room into the light. 



It is just the same upon a dark night. The pupils of the cat's 

 eyes dilate or open, and take in so much of the little light there 

 is, that she can see perfectly well. So it is with the lion. Even 

 upon the darkest night there is always a little light; and this 

 enables the animal to see sufficiently clearly for its purpose. 



The lion's teeth, too, are like those of a cat, but very much 

 larger and stronger. They are not made for chewing, for neither 

 animal chews its food, but swallows it in large pieces; so that 

 there is no need for " double teeth ", or "' grinders ", like our own. 



If you look into a cat's mouth, you will see that all her teeth 

 are long and pointed. Those of a lion are formed in just the same 



Cat's Head, showing Pupils closed and opened 



