134 THE MOUNTAIN. 



offices for which it was created, and, like the 

 annual herb, is seen no more. The bat, the mar- 

 mot, and the dormouse, at the first approach of 

 winter, desist from their ordinary habits, cease 

 to hunt after their prey or to evince any necessity 

 for food, retire to the haunts best adapted to their 

 nature, and from whence they may most easily 

 emerge on the return of spring. In this retire- 

 ment they suffer a great diminution of tempe- 

 rature, they breathe slowly, and only at intervals, 

 proportioned to the depth of their slumber, some- 

 times with long periods of total intermission, 

 the circulation of their blood becomes languid to 

 such an extent, that even the pulsation of the heart 

 is scarcely felt, the animal irritability decreases, 

 so that limbs may be lopped off, and even the 

 vital parts laid open, almost without exciting any 

 symptoms of feeling. The action of the digestive 

 organs is suspended, the body becomes gradually 

 emaciated and diminished in weight; and all this 

 takes place without in the least degree impairing 

 the living principle, which, on the contrary, is 

 found to be in a remarkably active and energetic 

 state at the period of revival. Others, whom 

 nature has not directed to retreat before the 

 wintry cold, as the sheep and the goat, and very 

 many of the feathered tribe, oppose as bold a 

 front as possible to the inclemency of the season, 

 and assume an additional covering of wool, hair, 

 or feathers, just as the forest-tree withdraws, as 

 it were, within its rugged bark all the more deli- 

 cate parts, which, if suffered to remain, would be 

 scattered by the fury of the wind, or nipped by 

 the frost. Within the tropics, w r here summer and 

 winter are scarcely distinguished, except by the 



