The Red Cloud chief., 1889-02-22
SLEEPING ALL WINTER.
Problem OF Information in the
Animal Kingdom.
SubsistinE for Months without Food or
Air-Curious Instances Of Suspen.
sion Of Natures ~Functi0ns-ThO
Explanation.

6ubsistlnE for Months Without Food Oh
Air-CariOus Instances Of Suspen.
sion Of Natures Funcfions-The
I~:npianstion.
We arc apt to forget how large 9
part Of the animal creation goes tG
sleep for the whole winter. The dead
season Of the year 10 obviously an ap'
prOpriate name so far AS regards the
trees and plants. but it is just As cor.
rect a term for numerous species Ol
living creatures. Nearly all the in
the like. go into winter quarters; frogs.
and all the reptile kind. bury them
selves in the mud. or under stones.
and even q few animals Of mans own
class spend several months OF the year
in q state of unbrOken sleep. This is
the problem of hibcrnatiOn-a great
deal more debated in former times
than now. Aristotle began the specu-
latiOns about it. and extended his in
quiry To certain of the fishes of the
Egean Sea. Hardly any naturalist Of
note missed writing about it towards
the end of the last century. or in the
early part Of the present One. The
curiosity has always been greatest in
reference to those few of the h .hcr
animals who have tho faculty Of cOiling
themselves up in a hole in the ground.
and going to sleep for months together.
The water vOle is one of these:
..Down into his burrow he coziiy crecps,
And quietly through the long winter ime
sleeps"
Gilbert White was told by IA farmer
in the parish of SelbOrne that his pillow
had turned up a vOle's winter nest in a
field some hundred yards from the
water. with n gallon of potatoes stored
ut one end OF it. Our other common
winter slecpors are the hedgehog. the
dOrmouse and the bat. Offers, badgers
and squirrels seem to have the faculty
Of lying perdu for days ut a time in n
very hard season; but they do not count
among the winter-sleepers proper. In
AlpineayOuntrics the various species of
marmOts are wcll-knOwn h~ibernatOrs;
in Russia and Siberia there are several
such species. and all over North Cor
many the most familiar instance is q
curious animal. called the hamster.
something between a large rat and a
rabbit. In Canada an interesting OBJ
~scryation WAS made by General Davies
on the profound winter sleep OF the
jumping mouse. and published. with a
picture in the ''Linnran Transactions
for 1877. The little animal. which was
n curiosity in the summer time for its
fyingsieaps through the long grass.
was lost sight Of about the month OF
OctObeS. and was not seen again until
the month OF May. General Davies
solved the problem Of what became Of
it all these months. A laborer. digging
the f~Oundations Of q garden house rear
Quebec in the spring. turned up with
his spade \ lump Of clay like a cricket
hall; on breaking the clod he found .
nicely-molded round space inside. with
in which lay . jumping-nouse. with its
long bind legs folded agains; its breast
aud its head sunk deeply between
them. 1t was placed in a chip box in
a warm rOOm until il should awake;
but the change of atmosphere was too
abrupt for it. and it never awOke. The
The jumping Gus cozily sleeping in
. smooth nest Of clay two feet below
the ground brings US face to face with
the whole problem Of winter sleep.
The animal had neither food nor air
for some six months Of the year. and
vet It was alive. and would resume all
its old agility With the warmth OF sum
mcr.
It 10 clear that winter-sleepers sub
sist for months without food. but il il
not SO easy to understand how they can
do without air. There is. however.
no doubt about the fact; their breath
ing becomes gradually slower during
the first week Or two Of their hibcrna-
ton, and soon ceases altogether.
Nearly all their manifold functions
come to rest Taking NO food. they
have nothing 70 digest; their senses arc
lost for the time. and they are i~nsensi-
BILE to pricks or pinching Of the skin.
A sleeping marmot has been trundled
along tho ground like Al inanimatc
ball. The only organ that keeps
working all the timc without = mo-
mont,s rest Is the heart. and eve the
heart il brought down 70 less thsn half
NJ its usual waking force. All these
facts have beea confirmed. it Is need
No. 70 cay. BY the most minute ohserv-
atoms. Learned Germans. Italians
.,d others have kept bats. hedgchogs.
w,rmo&s and hamstcrs In their bed
.ocm. and back kitchens. and have
-.,ched and Investigated the creatures
:. IN sarss Of ways. There is no doubt
:. an that unless when they are IN
~-..uv Aissuhed. they do not breathe.
s~..ssea..d do uoe exercise any 81 The
orainary functions OF their waking
49, .tccps The great and indispensa-
junction q the heart Their in
~. :sse,, Sea. Is tep. q ,4sle higher than
~ ,.mpcrasure Of the air. It is f.r
~. IN ordinary blood heat. but Il Is
e :sse siea enough 70 prsrse. their being
trosss. a-;sS pp. and evea3 be blood =
n:ss'y ', In ssua. The muscles