The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1861-05-22
Waking up from Winter Sleep.

Waking up from Winter Sleep.
Hybernaton, or winter sleep, is cond
tion beautifully devised by the Creator 10
indemnify certain animals for the loss OF
their necessary food during winter lime =
Nutrition being arrested, all the other vital
functions are eIter suspended, or are car
red on al low steam pressure so 10 speak.
This is the case with respiration, and the
accompanying evolution of animal heat
Animals may be likened 10 furnaces in
more than fguralive sense. Food fur
nishes fuel, and the breath supplies oxygen
for the support OF combustion. During or
dinary sleep, this conclusive function is
notably lowered The human system is so
delicately organized that it cannot sink into
the deep torpor ot cold and be afterwards
revived but The long winter sleep OF some
animals is no more extraordinary 10 them
than the few hours nightly rest 10 each OF
us.
Let us take some examples. The bat
lives upon insects and nothing else. Where
were The insects in winter? Either dead
or tOrpid-hybernating too-hidden away
in minute hole and corners, where the bat
could not follow them, even if he were
about and stirring so what more sensible
thing could the bat do than 60 TO sleep also,
remain sleeping until spring,ime comes
again. The frog is an insect feeder too,
which he, no more than the bat, can obtain
in winler so the frog goes 10 sleep. la
the norlh of France and Germany, there are
pretty little frogs of greer. color, and which
live on trees. Many attempts have been
made TO naturalize these pretty things in
| England but without much success. The
very midnesS of insular winters kills them.
The degree of cold we experience is nsu-
ally enough to send them in deep winter
sleep The economy of their furnace COM
bustion is not brought down sufficiently low
10 do without food entirely and, on the
other hand food they cannot obtain. So
the usual result is, that the pretty ,ree-frogs
die. AS frogs eat insects, so in their turn
do snakes eat frogs and the latter not be-
ing complaisant enough to lhop abou: IN
winter time, what more sensible thing could
a snake do than so 10 sleep TOO -! For a
similar reason the spinny hedgehog sleeps
and he sleeps soundy too, as people who
have found him in his winter quarters car
testify.
One of the most curious of foreign hyber
majors is the Iiue North Anne rican animal
called the "prairie dog" Prairie dogs con
gregaie in immense herps and whilst IN
summer lasts they are active enough. As
winter approaches, however, and before
cold weather actually sets in, the prairie
dogs build themselves houses, and getting
under shelter of he same, fasten up the
doors securely, and take their long winter
nap. In late winter, or very early spring
whilst snow is yet on The ground, and the
prairie land is tormented by icy, bowling
winds, the prairie dogs may be noticed, II
the morning of some bitterly cold day
open their doors, poking out their noses
and not apparently finding things as pleas
ant as they might have wished re''nhs
once more AgaiC they close their man
sion.door, and go to sleep. The time hac
not arrived for coming out, indeed, but th'
little prairie dogs will not be deceived =
Some indication of a good time comm!
they perceive. The instincts lead then
not astray. The Indian and the backwoods
man, noticing The sign. are able TO predic
tha, fair weather is near al hand, havin:
trusted TO the sure instinct OF the Praln
dogs.
Hybernalion must only be excepted as
relative Term. Whilst some animals admi
of being frozen outright, and thawed agar
without damage TO ;heir constitutions, ,oiher
are by no means so tolerant OF lowere
temperature. A human individual. havn
sunk into the sleep OF cold, is general
frost-bilten al once, in some prominent an
exposed part The nose is the most likel
organ 10 suffer after which comes the hr
gers and the toes. II the sleeper be arouse
at once ;nciplent frosi.bites may trequentl
be cured by judicious friction, with ice
snow at first the object being 10 suppl
, warmth by degree. But if the first FROST bl
touch any International organ, the seal