The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-04-18
ALTERNATING ANIMALS.
HOW THEY PASS THE WINTER
WHILE HOUSED UP"
They Prepare Themselves for the Long
Fast BY Getting Fat-Then They
Live on the Fat They Have
Thus Accumulated.

Il there any good reason why man
should not pass the winter In state OF
Information, II he feels like II, as well
as the bear or the ground-hogp To
hibernate, be It remembered, simply
means to pass the winter In state OF
seclusion-.'housed up" as we might
exp-essively put it.
No man could hibernate for six
months. as Southey felt inclined to do;
but neither could bear. Our winters
are comparatively short. 1t may safe
ly be said. ut least. that the hibernat-
ing period Of the bear and other man.
mails, In our latitude, says the Phila-
delphia Times, Is not more than ton
weeks. Now there are well-authen-
ticated cases OF mems fasting six weeks
or more, while taking considerable
exercise every day. Every movement,
In the way OF exercise, drains the
surplus vitality to a certain extent,
just as every revolution OF locomotive
wheel requires some consumption Of
fuel in the furnace.
II healthy man were to fatten him
self as the alternating mammals do,
and then keep as quiet rs the bear in
his winter den, possibly he might live
through a ten-weeks' fast. Succi, the
Italian, tasted six and a half weeks in
New York in badly ventilated room
and while taking liberal exercise every
day. Three and q half weeks more
under such conditions as the bear fasts
might. therefore, be possible for man.
Man is so constituted that he can
provide the food and clothing and
warmth necessary to carry him through
the period Of excessive cold. This is
not SO with many other animals, and
so nature has made provision for help
ing through the winter. Thus all rep
tiles-serpents, toads, lizards and the
like-make nests in the ground when
cold weather approaches, then they go
to sleep and snooze comfortably until
the sunshine of spring time again
warns them into activity. Bats and
some fishes also pass the winter in o
state Of torpidity.
1t is commonly believed that such OF
our well known mammals as the bear
and the grounding hibernate in winter
in the same sense that the reptiles do,
but that is mistake. Many a hunter
has verified the truth OF this statement
by his experience in stirring up bear
family in midwinter. The difference
between the Information of the warm
blooded animals and the cold-blooded
re ptiles Is very great. The latter may
remain torpid for six months with very
little loss of weight. This Is because
their blood temperature is nearly as
low as that Of the air that surrounds
them. and therefore but little animal
food needs to be consumed in. keeping
them alive.
But the temperature OF the warm
blooded animals approaches that of man
which is about ninety-eight degrees,
no matter whether he be under the
equator or within the Arctic circle. In
this respect there Is not much differ
ence between man and the bear, for
example. From the moment the bear
houses up In his winter quarters he be-
gins to lose flesh, which is the fuel that
must constantly be consumed by both
man and bear when fasting. This Is
necessary to keep the high temperature
of the blood.
Instinct tells the alternating NAM
NAL in the late autumn that he must
make preparation for the time when
snow and ice will prevent him from
gathering food. He responds to this
warning by gorging himself as pig
does in fattening time. In the case OF
the bear he gets so stout at the begin
ming OF winter that his body Is covered
with layer of fat sometimes an inch
thick. This is the fuel, chiefly, whose
consumption is to keep him alive until
the warmth OF early spring will enable
him to earn or steal his living again.
As an evidence that bears and the
like are not actually torpid in winter
we know that a warn spell" will
always cause them TO come out OF their
dens and skirmish about for something
to eat After an exceedingly cold
winter bear. on his spring debut, Is
so lean and weak that he can hardly
walk. He is like a man physically run
down by long illness. But he soon
RECEIVERS from this condition IL he can
find some nuts or succulent roots. or a
convenient hen-roost or pig-sty.
The Information OF the grounding
Is similar TO that OF the bear. OF course
you know the tradition that the
ground-h always energies from his
hole on Candlemas Day-the second Of
February. Then II he sees his shadow,
he returns TO winter quarters. knowing
that the shadow portends many more
days Of winter.
The trouble with this tradition IL
that ii was handed down 10 US wrong
end foremost The grounding pokes
his nose out OF his winter door just as
the bear does. rs soon AZ he thinks
there is possibility OF finding some
thing 70 ill his empty stomach. II the
conditions are favorable he will go In
search Of food. as the bear does. but II
there Is no encouragement. he goes
back in disgust. like hungry and dis
appointed tramp.
THE Sale % uorphSse.
1T 10 bad enough. says physician.