HIBERNATION 



2791 



HICCOUGH 



being within ten miles of the city. Here are 

 the largest open-pit mines in the world. Lum- 

 bering and farming are important industries 

 of the surrounding country. The more pYomi- 

 nent buildings are a village hall, erected at a 

 cost of $135,000; a high school, costing $300,- 

 000; a Carnegie Library and two private hospi- 

 tals. In the town are Mesaba and Bennet 

 parks and near by is Sturgeon Lake. Hibbing 

 was settled in 1892 and incorporated in 1893. 

 In 1917 it was still governed under a village 

 charter. J.E.L. 



HIBERNATION, hi ber na' shun. When icy 

 winds roar through the treetops and snow is 

 piled high on the ground, many animals tuck 

 themselves into out-of-the-way places and fall 

 into a long sleep. That sleep is called hiberna- 

 tion, meaning winter sleep, from the Latin 

 word hibernus, for winter. In that state long 

 periods of severe weather or scarcity of food 

 are passed without discomfort to the animal. 

 A similar state of sleeping occurring in sum- 

 mer months is called estivation. 



As the time approaches for the change, the 

 animal grows fatter and becomes gradually 

 more slow in its habits, until finally it falls 

 into a stupor. Some animals, such as the 

 badger, do not waken until the period of cold 

 or food scarcity is passed. Others, such as the 

 chipmunk and gopher, become active on pleas- 

 ant days, partake of food which they have 

 stored and then go back to sleep. Each animal 

 seems to be governed by habits which have 

 passed down from generation to generation. 

 When an animal wakens from its hibernation 

 it has lost thirty or forty per cent of its 

 weight, for it has used its stored-up fat during 

 its long sleep, and is weak and inactive, but it 

 quickly regains its natural vigor. 



During hibernation animals breathe very 

 owly and the heart scarcely beats. For that 

 >n a rude awakening sometimes will cause 

 th. The body temperature of a hibernating 



imal is usually that of its surroundings. A 

 ight increase in the temperature will generally 

 .waken the sleeper. But hunger is probably 

 the call which it answers when once again it 

 is time to become active. 



Hibernating animals are chiefly vegetable 

 feeders. Almost all burrowing animals hiber- 

 nate, and among them the woodchuck is most 

 notable. The length of its winter sleep is re- 

 garded by some as a weather prophecy (see 

 GROUNDHOG). Bears, skunks, dormice, squir- 

 rels, prairie dogs, badgers and bats also escape 

 the rigors of northern winters by hibernation. 



When ice locks up waters, many fish bury 

 themselves in the mud and sleep. Toads, frogs 

 and some reptiles, a few butterflies and many 

 other insects have similar long periods of in- 

 activity. V.L.K.. 



HIBERNIA, hi ber ' ni a, the ancient name of 

 Ireland, said to have been applied to it first 

 by Julius Caesar. Frequent reference to it is 

 found in the classics, notably in the writings of 

 Ptolemy, who described the country in detail, 

 under the name Juverna. 



HIBISCUS, hibis'kus, a tropical and sub- 

 tropical plant of the mallow family which 

 yields mucilage. The rose of Sharon is the 

 most familiar cultivated species. Another more 

 hardy variety, the swamp rose mallow, flour- 

 ishes along the 

 Atlantic coast 

 and near the 

 Great Lakes. 

 This plant is very 

 attractive, with 

 large, velvety 

 leaves and bell- 

 shaped, rose- 

 colored flowers. 

 The unripe fruit 

 of another species 

 is used in the 

 East and West 

 Indies and in the 

 United States for HIBISCUS 



thickening broths The variety known as the 

 and as an article swamp rose mallow ' 

 of food; it is also called okra or gumbo, and 

 is an important factor in the composition of 

 the soup with which most families are familiar. 

 Other Indian varieties, such as the hemp, yield 

 fibers of different qualities. The seeds of still 

 other species, which are said to possess medici- 

 nal properties, have a fragrance suggesting 

 musk or amber, and are used in the manufac- 

 ture of perfumes. 



HICCOUGH, or HICCUP, hik'kup, a sudden, 

 spasmodic intaking of the breath, attended 

 by a peculiar, sharp sound. An attack of hic- 

 cough is brought on by a sudden contraction 

 of the diaphragm, and is attended by closure 

 of the glottis, which is the opening from the 

 pharynx into the larynx. The sound is caused 

 by the inrush of air against the closed glottis. 

 Paroxysms sometimes last only a few minutes, 

 but they may endure for several hours or even 

 a number of days ; in the latter case death may 

 follow from exhaustion. The most frequent 

 cause of hiccough is some form of indigestion, 



