The evening times., 1895-12-19
Animals That Endure Cold

The persistence of animal life in the re-
Sionof arctic cold appears only less account
able than its presence in the ocean abyss.
The existence OF deep-sea creatures in per-
petual darkness and under u weight of
waters four miles deep was incr.diDle be-
cause~ ~incoDceivabie. The existence of life
in arctic darkness and arctic cold is unac-
oountable because it seems to Le OF neces-
sity intolerable.
The beneficent effect OF the long, night
less arctic summer forces the powers OF
fife at high pressure and stimulates
growth of all kinds Buttercups, dande-
lions, saxifrage, forget-me-not and kim
dred flowers bloom as though in an Eng
lish meadow. But when winter settles in
the ducks, geese, sanderlings, asd plovers
all fly south, leaving only the raven, two
species OF gulls and the ptarnagen. With
these remain all the mammals, not only
seals and whales, but reindeer, sheep, polar
bears, blue foxes and others.
The nervous depression with which
darkness affects men is quite absent in the
case OF animals in the arctic nights. Their
vital activity is unaffected by the absence
of sunlight, which, though protracted for
so great u time, seems no more irksome
than 1t does to those animals which have
by choice become nocturnal In their hab-
its in temperate lands. Their iGdiffer-
ence to cold is still more astonishing. The
arctic animals do not even hibernate. The
polar bear does not initiate the winter
sleep OF the black and brown bears, but
is rover through the winter and is hunted
and killed by moonlight: and Mr.. Battye
found on Kolguey the traps and half-frozen
bats Of seal fat which had been set for blue
foxes in the previous winter.
Men, even arctic yoyaSers, feel its gloom
intoierable, though cheered by artificial
light Strange to say. the animals do not,
SO far as We can tell. Their eyes are not
modified by the prevailing darkness, either
iu the direction of greater power or by de-
generation. At the same time Mr.. Battye
has noted and satisfied himself by repeated
experiments that the faculty of sight is in
ferior in the arctic fox and arctic bare to
that of the common fox of Britain.
More strange still is the experience Of
Col. Fielden when wintering with the Alert.
When the temperature was at so degrees
below freezing point. Fahrenheit, the lem
mings were seen peering from their burrows
In the snow, and he had ''ample proof that
animals were moving all the time in this
stupefylng cold.
- Man in this case was also able to with
stand the extreme low temperature, draw
ing his feed from artificial stores and clad
in the skins of the arctic animals. But how
are they fed while the cold prevails? The
creatures live on the weaker
animals. But the reindeer, muSk-sheep and
must procure vegetable food even
at such times. The life of plants must be
preserved In spite of conditions which seem
to make it impossible. The explanation is
that the absence of the sunlight. which is
absolutely necessary for the nutrition OF
plants elsewhere, does not prevent their
growth in the night OF the artic winter. The
jennings which were seen by Col. Fielden
were found to have been feeding on a saxi-
frage common in the district. which, though
exposed throughout the winter to a tenn
perature of 20 degrees below zero. nd often |
TO a greater intensity OF cold. showed |
small green bud at the extremity of each |
stalk, proving that it was growing in spite |
Of the darkness.