NIGHT SCENE. 
233 
than their neighbors, which is not the case ; the same sort of 
pale, phosphorescent hght gleamed about other plants, and upon 
the chips and stones in the path. 
The views, after leaving the woods, were beautifully clear and 
distinct. The reflections in the lake below were strangely perfect 
for a night scene ; village, woods, and hills lay softly repeated on 
the bosom of the flood, as though it were dreaming by night 
of objects dear and familiar by day. One might have counted 
the trees and the fields ; even the yellow coloring of the grain- 
fields beside the green meadows was distinctly given. 
As the night winds rose and fell with a gentle murmuring 
sough, the deep bass of the frogs, and the higher notes of the in- 
sect throng, continued in one unbroken chaunt. What myriads of 
those little creatures must be awake and stirring of a fine summer 
night ! But there is a larger portion of the great family on earth 
in movement at night, than we are apt to remember ; because we 
sleep ourselves, we fancy that other creatures are inactive also. 
A number of birds fly at night besides the owls, and night hawks, 
and whip-poor-wills ; very many of those who come and go be- 
tween our cooler climate and the tropics, make their long journeys 
lighted by the moon or the stars. The beasts of prey, as is well 
known, generally move at night. Of the larger quadrupeds be- 
longing to this continent, the bears, and wolves, and foxes, are 
often in motion by starlight ; the moose and the deer frequently 
feed under a dark sky ; the panther is almost wholly nocturnal ; 
the wary and industrious beaver also works at night ; that singu- 
lar creature, the opossum, sleeps in his tree by day and comes 
down at night. The pretty little flying-squirrel wakes up as twi- 
