Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1886-02-06
KibcrnatiOn.

The phenomenon of Information,
OF winter sleep, peculiar to some
animals. is very curionSindecd. 1t
is not well understood. Some de-
clare it TO he Il sort of catalcpSy;
others say it is a trance. AS it is
physiological event and cannot
lie we'll investigated, the changes
which occur must remain some,
what Of a mystery.
That certain animals retire to
concealed place and remain dor
mant. or in a state of lctlargy, for
DAYS, weeks or months together.
we know. That during this time
they take no food, VOID no eNcre.
tionS and lose a great amount OF
animal heat we also know. But
Just how life is mainland, no one
can say.
Anumbcr of alternating animals
acquire a great amount Of fat, usu-
ally lust under the skin. and dur
ing lie dormant period this is con.
sumed ard they come out in the
spring very lean: but in the case of
serrentS, frogs and bats no such
accommodations have been noticed.
In order that certain amount OF
heat may be maintained. and as
they are generally easily aroused, 1t
is their habit to conceal themselves
in warm places. or congregate III
some secluded quarter. Bears,
hedgehoes, woodchuckS and such
animals go into holes and curl up
nearly into a ball. with the head
and feet on the inside. Snakes
twist together in numbers i'll some
rocky hole to keep warm. Frogs
and toadS sink into the mud. as do
also ailigatolS. crocodiles and other
lizards. Shell fish dig down into
the Sot; bottoms OtStreamS or lakes,
and insects. which survive the win
ter, lie in the gronEd or some pro
tected granny.
These who explain the phenomen-
on attribute it 10 The effect OF the
cold. The absence Of suitable food
and he gradual showing ofthe res
piratjons. In those that are per
tect h;bernatorS theinStinct OF Stor-
Ing feed fol- winter iSentireIy want
ing. They betake themselves to
some warm place and begin by fall.
ing asleep. Sleep iSa very similar
phenomenon, differing only IN de
gree. Human beings who are froz
en- to death first sleep, then get in
to a condition very like hibeIna
ton, which. when carried further.
causes death. 1t is so with the
lower animals, and many Succumb
to great Geld. In sleep tue resplra.
ton is slower, and as Il consequence
the temperature falls, so that cloth
ing is necessary at night which
would be too VAIN during waking
hours.
Breathing has direct effect upon
what is known as muscular irrita
bility. OF tie power OF muscle to re-
spond 10 impressions. TIE heart
leafs because it is excited to con
tract hy tie blood flowing into it.
That this contraction is dependent
upon the number of Inspirations is
shown by comparisons. In birds
the breathing is fast and the lrrlta-
bility Of tie heart great: beating
normally from 120to l40 a minute,
and the heat OF the body is conSld
erably over 100 degrees. Descend
inc tile scale we find lizards breathe
slowly, tLeir hearts beat slowly and
their temperature is very low.
Thus it is i'll Information, the
breathing becomes lessand less un-
ill in son e it is nearly or entirely
suspended, the heart beats decline
aid tie temperature falls. until,
even III walm-blooGed animals, it
reaches as low as thirty five de
or rs, which is only three degrees
above tie freezing point OF water.
Suicides sometimes take their
lives by rlaciEe all open charcoal
fire in the room and inhaling the
cal holic acid gas which it gives off.
Death ensueS i1lm tl.e gas poison.
ing the b cod. Breathing accom-
fishes the same end for the body
flat heat does fer charcoal. 1t car
lies away this lernicious gas from
Tie blood, but lie slow action OF
the lungs during Information al
lows this to remain and induces
lcthargy. or alaStheSla, at which
time were it net for the increased
i,lilaLility OF the heart death would
enSle.
There are two classes Of hiberna
tons. Those perfectly letharglc
through the winter, and those
which wake at frequent intervals.
The best example Of perfect sleep
in this country is seen i'll the bats.
at The beginning OF cold weather
they huddle together in buncles,
fail into a comatose condition and
do not stir until WARM weather
comes again. An old hollow tree:
or, best Of all, a cave, affords pro
lection for them.
Bats have little hook at one of
the FONTS of the wing, by which
they hang suspended i'll the air
when sleeping, and during hiber
nation great numbers crowd to-
getl:er clinging to each other, the
weight of all being borne by the
central one. 1t is stated that as
many as fifty or sixty have been
seen in one bunch, the weight of
which would aggregate about flf