that part of the natural day during which the sun is underneath the horizon; or that space wherein it is dusky.

Night was originally divided by the Hebrews and other eastern nations into three parts or watches. The Romans, and after them the Jews, divided the night into four parts or watches; the first of which began at sunset, and lasted till nine at night, according to our way of reckoning; the second lasted till midnight; Night; the third till three in the morning; and the fourth ended at sunrise. The ancient Gauls and Germans divided their time not by days but by nights; and the people of Iceland and the Arabs do the same at this day. The like is observed of the Anglo-Saxons.—The length and shortness of night or of darkness is according to the season of the year and position of the place; and the causes of this variety are now well known. See Astronomy, &c.

scripture language, is used for the times of heathenish ignorance and profaneness (Rom. xiii. 42.) for adversity and affliction (Is. xxi. 12.) and lastly, for death (John ix. 4.).

Night Angling, a method of catching large and shy fish in the night-time. Trout, and many other of the better sorts of fish, are naturally shy and fearful; they therefore prey in the night as the surest time.—The method of taking them on this plan is as follows: The tackle must be strong, and need not be so fine as for day fishing, when every thing is seen; the hook must be baited with a large earth worm, or a black snail, and thrown out into the river; there must be no lead to the line, so that the bait may not sink, but be kept drawing along, upon or near the surface. Whatever trout is near the place will be brought thither by the motion of the water, and will seize the worm or snail. The angler will be alarmed by the noise which the fish makes in rising, and must give him line, and time to swallow the hook; then a slight touch secures him. The best and largest trouts are found to bite thus in the night; and they rise mostly in the still and clear deeps, not in the swift and shallow currents. Sometimes, though there are fish about the place, they will not rise at the bait: in this case the angler must put on some lead to his line, and sink it to the bottom.

Night Mare, or Incubus. See Medicine, No 329.

Night Walkers. See Medicine, No 329, and Noctambuli.

Night Walkers, in Law, are such persons as sleep by day and walk by night, being oftentimes pilferers or disturbers of the public peace. Constables are authorized by the common law to arrest night-walkers and suspicious persons, &c. Watchmen may also arrest night-walkers, and hold them until the morning; and it is said, that a private person may arrest any suspicious night-walker, and detain him till he give a good account of himself. One may be bound to the good behaviour for being a night-walker; and common night-walkers, or haunters of bawdy-houses, are to be indicted before justices of peace, &c. But it is not held lawful for a constable, &c. to take up any woman as a night-walker on bare suspicion only of being of ill-fame, unless she be guilty of a breach of the peace, or some unlawful act, and ought to be found misdoing.