125 
pear to be destined to it, there are created, in 
every class of animals, nocturnal species which, 
provided with powerfal arms, with an acute 
sense of hearing, and with a piercing sight, 
traverse the gloomy asylums where those 
timid races hide themselves. It is not there- 
fore an isolated law in the system of living 
bodies, but one of those general principles 
which enter, as a constituent part, into the 
universal conception of animated nature. 
The eyes of most of the species in this Ge- 
nus are so delicate that they seem to be daz- 
zled by the splendour of day, and entirely 
overpowered by the lustre of the solar rays, 
Buffon observes, that " they require a gentler 
light, such as prevails at the dawn, or in the 
evening shades. They leave their retreats to 
hunt, or rather to search for their prey, and 
their expeditions are performed with great 
advantage ; for in this still season, the other 
birds and small animals feel the soli in- 
fluence of sleep, or are about to yield to its 
soothing power. Those nights that are cheer- 
ed by the presence of the moon, are to them 
the finest of days — days of pleasure and abun- 
dance, in which they seek their prey for seve- 
