The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-06-28
LONG WINTER MAPS.
WAYS IN WHICH VARIOUS ANIMALS
SPEND THE COLD WEATHER.

rnrveIous Manner In which the
Functions of Life SIumber - bird
Emi=rants With Wonderful In
stinct For Self Preservation.
The devices of animal life to bridge
over the winter season ana their ways
and habits during this time present an in
tcrcsting. indeed fascinating. page Of ma
ture, writes Charles Frederick Holder.
At the approach of winter animals are
affected in various ways. In the north
all the reptiles-snakes, lizards, frogs
and toads, vast concourSe-disappear in
a most miraculous manner, The snakes
enter holes and crevices. projecting them
selves as far into the earth as possible
and. coiled tightly, assume condition.
state of coma, in which they remain until
the heat of the sun comes to waken
them the following spring. when they ap
pear voraciouS and eager for prey to re-
habilitate them physically after months
of fasting. The frogs plunge down into
the mud Of the ponds where they have
made music during the long summer and
feet the same places as snakes and when
taken out at this time are apparently life
less.
This is the case with the reptiles of
the eastern and middle states or whcrev
or there is a cold winter. ice and snow.
But ON the Pacific slope, in southern Cal
ifornia. in the same latitude as the above,
a different condition holds. Here-and
the san Gabriel valley may be taken as
an eXamplc-thc lizards are subjected to
a winter and summer every 81 hours.
There is no snow, the days are bright
and beautiful, resembling n cool eastern
summer. aud insect life does not disap-
pear. All winter | have found lizards
basking in the sun on these bright DAYS.
but as the winter day wears on and 4
O'Clock approaches there is a very mate
rial ChanGc-a strange chill that affects
rcptilan life Mt once. 1t is their winner,
and just as the eastern lizard crceps
down into the earth for shelter and en-
tiers its winter sleep. so this California
lizard crawls ont of sight beneath rocks,
into creviccs or under the bark Of trees
and enters what is the equivalent of
state of coma. 1t seems to ShTivel, be-
comes seemingly intensely cold, often
stretches out its entire length aud lies. TO
all intents and purposes dead and life
less in this way passing the night until
8 or 10 O'Clock in the morning. when the
!, rays Of the sun slowly bring it back TO
life.
This curious night coma is. so far as
appearances 20. identical with the winter
sleep of eastern lizards The functions
are in allegiance for the time and life is
at its lowest chb. In observing these
sleepcrs ] have found them by turning
over the piles of stones carly in the morn
ing and have often found row of them,
limp. cold and apparently dead, lying in
the sun, to watch the gradual return to
life. 1t came very gradually. those liz
ards placed on their backs first showing
signs of life by a quivering of the limbs.
which were then drawn up. Then the
long tail would move, and finally the little
sleeper would cumsily roll over into an
upright position, and as the direct rays
of the sun struck and warmed it into life
its eyes would grow brighter, and sud
denly, as if touched by some magic wand,
its head would be lifted high, the
blue brcastplatc cleaned in the light.
and with an air of establishment and
alarm this sleeper, awakened. would dash
over the ground and escape. once more Il
living creature type of activity. 2
menace to insect life Every night in the
California winter this occurs, and the
condition can easily be supcrin1uced by
suhjectinc the animals to artificial cold.
The bears in southern California are
found abroad at all times. while in the
northern part of the state and in the east
they enter into complete state of Ii
bernation, going into their winter sleep
well conditioned and fat, evidently living
on the latter until spring when they
emerge lean and ugly.
The change in color of animals at the
approach of the winter season is one of
the remarkable features of life. The
ermine, as an example and several 9TH
ers assume n white coat, the change be-
ing protective feature. The ptarmigan
has a similar habit, change which rem
ders it inconspicuous to its various en-
emies.
At the approach of winter the Birds.
perhaps, present the most remarkable
spectacle. With some few exceptions
they move away from the conditions
which threatened Them and in what is
P'P"l"ilN Ndiltu tle utpdIluIe anu return
of the birds we contemplate a wonderful
migration. in which the highest instinct
of self preservation appears to have been
developed The birds of the coast have a
definite line of migration; the shore line
at this time constitutes a bird highway,
J over which tens of thousands are passing
in the autumn to the south. where there
is food supply; in the spring to the
north, to the fields they know so well,
and the nesting places where the young
are to be raised. Much of this migration
is carried on at night high in air, and
during storms myrads of birds are often
confused and killed by dashing blindly
into the lighthouses that mark the high
wav.