The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-21

ateiv gives II UP" and goes of to sleep
prairie dogs are allied to the wood
chuck and show the same habits.
Tho English dOrmouse, as It's name
implies sleeping mousc-is noted WIN
ter sleeper. coiiing itseh up IN lls p"ii
Of hay long before the snow comes Out
oven this animal / have frequently seen
tcnpted out by a day warmer than us
ual.
CLIMATIC INFLUENCES.
Here we may notice a popularity at
tcndaut upon Information, which Is men
TONED By Darwin. At Bahia Blanca,
few warm days in September. 1892, caused
all life 10 spring forth, and after the WIN
ter inactivity plants pushed ont their
buds and animals and insects were on
the move. The nom te1nprature was -
degrees and the highest about 20 degrees.
A week or two previous TO this. at Monte
vidco. about degrees nearer the equator,
the mean temperature was bS4 degrees
and the highcst 20 degrees ana yet pants
and animals were dormant Darwin say''
'rhis shows how nicely the stimulus
rcol.irod ID arouse alternating amin ais IS
governed by the usual climate OF INC
district and not by the absolute heat II
is we'll known that within the tfcpics' the
Information. or more properly aestiVaiion
OF animals is determined not by the leih-
rfraturc but by times of dr0Ignt
There is no recorded instance Of birds
alternating. for with their powers OF
! FIGHT they have porfect remedy lot
falling of I'm their food-supplies in
mitration. IL was and perhaps still is' a
ponilar belief i'm the country districts OF
| England that swallows passed the VIM
ter in state Of torpiiity under water
1esse says. "rhe idea that swallows
1 i. Int "a
bottoms Of rivers and lakes is sul pre-
valent In some pants Of England. Nhen
l was on a visit at the house On the beau
| .if,l island on the Wiudermere Lake,
WIS Informed that "a person I'm the nelsn-
borhood of Grasmere Lake had seen
swallows emerging from IL. Wishing TO
learn the particulars as matter OF
curiosity. ! requested the land agent Oh
| fhe gentleman at whose house was
! staviua- to procure me all the particulars
I'm his power He Informed me That he
kne, tho man who was stated TO nave
soon tina swallOws-that he bore SoOd
! character for honesty ana crediDility-and
mat he was as intelligent as most per-
sons An his sphere Of life. being a work
ing carpenter
A similar Incident bcfen myself, Tor
"a most worthy farmer ana MS son lMho
lo1 heon TO COLLEGE, told me that they
erpgafcl over "a pool fan into the water
| pr.paratory 10 going TO sleep for the
| Winter proposed that they should
! e.t their farm-laborers 20 drag the Dol-
| tom OF the pool with net, and prom
| isod five shillngs 0lNl for every pIu
! thov found. My incredibly was set
| down 10 prejudice my o1er was MOI
| accented. and It vas predicted that J.
| should eventually turn out TO be one OF
those dangerous "sceptics
HIrrRVAST FISHES.
r,r,sh water fishes are only partial
| hibernants. although carp can live aitcr
| being frozen, while marine fishes are
under no necessity for becoming TORPID
I'm tropical regions some enclose mem
| solves i'm mud cells and aestivate; but
in our climate the fresh water fishes hide
themselves I'm holes and have their vital
functions lowered TO such an extent that
active search for food Is unnecessary A
brighter day than usual Will however
bring them out; while it is a Well-knoWh
TACT that i'm large bodies Of fresh wate
such as the great lakes the tsh are con-
siantly on the move ana are Ieauliy
| caught at holes made I'm the ice a
| curious incident in connection with fishes
| occurred 10 me on December 81 1866,
| which was a remarkably sunny day for
| the time Of the year. ! was standing on
| a terrace overlooking the iiNtr wye III
| England. and noticed a commoton on
| fine shadows where a stream which pass
| ed through farmyard Joined the river.
| As there was ice on the ponds ana dltch-
| as although none in the river, ala not
| suspect fish, and ran for any Held glass.
| Seeing that FISH were evidently struggling
I'm The water. I quickly fitted my hy-rod
together. axad a couple of whl'e-moth
| nirs ON the line and ran down. In halt
| an hour / had more than dozen me
| "chub" ON the gravel. The oecret was
so,n manifest At the farm above they
| hal turned a quantity Of some iood or
other into tho stream AMI the nsh We're
| ouicl5lv on hand 20 feed upon H. rms
was the only time l ever went hy-hshiHs
I'm the depth OF Winter.
Tortoises. bo.h land and fresh water,
| enter into a state of torpiii'y as winter
| anproaches. the former burying them
| selves deeply I'm the earth, the latter
hiding I'm holes or under the mud. Thelf.
would seem 90 be- a true hibernatlon' Iof
sprlnr must Doe well advanced before We
see lhem IN their usual habitsts. Lazarus
and snakes congrcgdtc in large numbers
and col themselves I'm immense bunches
for their Winter res. ! well remember
tho lively time there was among some
farm bows. when they came upon knol
of some dozen poor harmless snakes coil
ed I'm each others embraces In manure
| h4on. Here also the hlbcrnaion IS "A com
rlete one for when aroused the requires
are porfectly helpless, and may DO
slaughtered without any diilcui'l. an
unusually warm day has no WHY . .
| croct until the proper season comes "'
awakening. as Darwin points out n"'
more 10 do with tho climate man WIZ
the absolute amount of heat.
Vrogs. IL appears, are wise ana Jay w
"a stnrs of fat In the membrane WhlcI
s.,rrounas the intestnes there are seNera
| remarkable folds and these are MIC" VIII
81 yellow fatty substance. when l"eie j.
rood reason for believing is provision
Tor winter toTidity Toads' "ls'' al
nerfoet hihernants and retire nnHer 'o'N'
and into cavities during their p'ioh ol
| o,,i.-.,n nee Doubtless one rs reinlhnt" q"
the stories about frogs and toaus pein-
sound inbedded m rocks and Jumps o
! coad htt this subject must not now ID
entered upon Some future occasion may
ofeer itself Tor a discussion. Ho" long
sroe a., "A toad may be able TO remain
tor-,id / know not; but There Is an ia
sfance Of "a frog forgetting 10 hibernate
mot frog was kept in gentleman
kitchen ca the hanks of the river lhaln''
and as 30 had am az undent Supply
food ~ lived am unintcrruptedy active
life for three years.
HABITS oT TIRE sNAiIs.
The collector OF land snails cannot d.
much I'm Wnter-time. FOR these moilusc'