1M ON THE TORPIDITY OF JERBOAS. 



open air, its movements or activity seemed wholy directed to 

 the making of a comfortable habitation out of the hay with 

 Avhich I supplied it. It was sufficiently evident, however, 

 that the cold was not the only cause of its torpid state. It was 

 finally killed by the application of too great a degree of heat to 

 it, whilst in its torpor. 



During its torpor, it commonly laid with its head between 

 its hind legs, with the claws or feet of these closely applied 

 to the head. Its respiration could always be perceived, but 

 was very slow. 



The fact of the torpidity of this little animal is known to 

 the gardeners and others near the city. They call it the 

 " seven-sleepers," and assert, that it is frequently found in the 

 earth, at the lower extremity of the horse-radish, and other 

 perpendicular roots. Does it use these as a measure of the 

 distance to which it shall go in the earth, to avoid the influence 

 of the frost? 



I have said, that the Dipus Americanus becomes torpid in 

 the neighbourhood of this city. But this, I believe, is not 

 always the case. During the winter-season, this little animal 

 and another species, which I call Dipus mellivorus, take pos- 

 session of the hives of bees, in which they form for themselves, 

 a warm and comfortable habitation, having ingeniously scoop- 

 ed away some wax. The materials of its nest are fine dry 

 grass, down or feathers, and old rags. It lives upon the ho- 

 ney, and seems to grow very fat upon it. I believe two indi- 

 viduals, a male and a female, commonly inhabit one hive. 

 They sometimes devour the greater part of the honey of a hive. 



The circumstance just mentioned is not altogether uninter- 

 esting. It plainly proves what I have, long since, asserted, 

 that the torpid state of animals is altogether " an accidental 

 circumstance," and by no means constitutes a specific charac- 

 ter. The same species becomes torpid in one country and not 

 in another. Nay, different individuals of the same species be- 

 come torpid, or continue awake, in the same neighbourhood, 

 and even on the same farm. 



BENJAMIN SMITH BARTON. 



