Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-04-16
WILD ANIMALS IN WINTER.

One of natures most important methods
of preserving animal life is by hyberna-
ton. The lower animals, as insects and
some reptiles, become, to all appearances,
entirely dormant, live without essential
change during the cold winter, and wake
to active life only when food is again ready
for them. Others, like the Woodchuck, at
ter growing fat on the abundant food of au-
tumn roll themselves up in nest and sleep.
Vital action is lowered, they consume but
little oxygen, and live upon the stores of
fat with which they went into winter quar-
ters. The black bear generally hibernates
in caves and under old tree tops, but he is
never so sleepy that he is not ready for a
battle if disturbed and further south he
does not hibernate at all. In New England
he grows fat on green corn, roots, and nuts
in the fall and so he has had the credit of
growing fat by ''sucking his paws" This
old notion is only an illustration of theories
in mechanic life that something can come
of nothing. The truth about the bear is,
that he grows thin every day he lies in his
den. The third general method of preserv-
ing the species through the winter is by
migration, as best seen among birds, but
practiced also by the higher mammals. AS
the autumn advances many of the smaller
birds from our midst and from the far
north, quietly make their way south, to
find warmer weather and new stores Of food
for the winter months. Others assemble in
fiocks and seem to have grave consultations
over the projected journey. The metallic
note of the wild goose comes to US from
among the clouds, as, night and day, the
fiocks wend their way in long lines to the
south. Long before they appear with US
they collect their broods in the lakes and
bays near their breeding places, and seem
to be organizing for the long flight which
most of them are to take for the first time
to land which most of them have never
seen; for, of every flock that starts from
their northern resting place, the larger part
are young and have never flown but few
miles before they commence their long
flight to an unknown land. They follow
their leader, it is said. We have seen them
in the bays of Newfoundland, gathering
like great army, practicing for days, and
then one flock after another separates itself
from the great host, and follows its chosen
leader to the south. They return in the
spring, even while the snow and ice abound,
to be ready for the opening of the short
northern summer. In the long days or the
north, and by the unmolested bays of New
foundIand and Labrador, they find the best
conditions for rearing their young.
THE LOCOMOTIVE IN WINTER.-A loco
motive cab in winter is a dreary place. 1t
is bad in daytime, but on winter night,
when the snow flies fast, the locomotive
cab is a good place to keep out of. Even in
the day it is impossible to see anything if a
snow storm prevails. The rails run right
up into the air. Nothing can be seen ahead
but jumping-otf place. The windows are
frozen up or covered with snow, and from
innumerable cracks and crevices around
the floor where it joins the boiler come
draughts that bite and sting. The engine
caWs like crow, haugh, haugh, now fast,
now slow, according as the drifts cover the
track or uncover it for brief space, and
when it strikes IL drift it throws the snow
in binding clouds all over itself, just AS the
spray flies overa vessel shipping a sea. The
track is rough, for the frost has disturbed it,
and the engine lurches ahead, staggering to
and fro like drunken man.
There are few more impressive spectacles
i'm this world than a powerful locomotive
laboring through a heavy snow storm. TO
the observer beside the track it looms up
through the gloom, tremendous and awful.
The locomotive seems the embodiment OF
the Death Angel, moving swiftly and noise
lessly. The snow has muttied the Whir OF
the rolling friction of the wheels on the
rails, and the train glides by like the un-
substantial pageant of dream. With its
black breath, its snOrtS of fire, it's hOarse
voice, it is truly Apolloyon, the destroying
angel, and the man must be unimpressible
indeed who does not feel a thrill ut its adj
vent -MechnRirM Engineer.