HIBERNATION AND ALLIED STATES IN 
ANIMALS. 
For a long time it has been known that many insects 
pass into a state of profound torpor during the winter 
season, from which they are apt to emerge, as seen in 
our house flies, when the temperature rises sufficiently 
high. 
Snails are well known to provide against the 
approach of winter by closing up their shells, within 
which they sink into a protective sleep, and doubtless 
hibernation is a very widespread phenomenon among 
invertebrates. 
There seems to be little doubt that in cold latitudes 
all reptilia and amphibia hibernate, and in warm 
countries estivate. Nevertheless, definite investiga- 
tions have been few. At the Philadelphia meeting of 
the American Association for the Advancement of 
Science of 1884, A. W. Butler made an interesting 
communication on this subject, giving some definite 
data, more especially in regard to the hibernation of 
the “box tortoise,’ “soft-shelled” and “hard-shelled” 
turtles, frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, and certain 
fishes, which may be found stated succinctly in the 
Proceedings of the Association for that year. His 
observations apply to Brookville, Ind, U.S.A. He 
concludes that: “In this part of the Ohio Valley, tor- 
toises, turtles, toads, and frogs are regularly found 
hibernating; while, on the other hand, newts, sala- 
manders, and many species of fish do not, as a rule, 
enter a torpid state.” 
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