426 HYBERNATION OF INSECTS. 



part doomed to a six months' deprivation of the food 

 which they ordinarily devour with such voracity ? By 

 a beautiful series of provisions founded on the faculty, 

 common also to some of the larger animals, of passing 

 the winter in a state of torpor by ordaining that the 

 insect shall live through that period, either in an incom- 

 plete state of its existence when its organs of nutrition 

 are undeveloped, or, if the active epoch of its life has 

 commenced, that it shall seek out appropriate hyberna- 

 cula, or winter quarters, and in them fall into a profound 

 sleep, during which a supply of food is equally unneces- 

 sary. 



In two of the four states of existence common to in- 

 sects, in which different tribes pass the winter, namely, 

 the egg and the pupa state, the organs for taking food 

 (except in some cases in the latter) are not developed, 

 and consequently the animal is incapable of eating. 

 The existence of insects in these states during the win- 

 ter, differs from their existence in the same form in sum- 

 mer only in the greater length of its term. In both sea- 

 sons food is alike unnecessary, so that their hybernation 

 in these circumstances has little or nothing analogous 

 to that of larger animals. With this, however, strictly 

 accords their hybernation in the larva and imago states, 

 in which their abstinence from food is solely owing to 

 the torpor that pervades them, and the consequent non- 

 expenditure of the vital powers. I shall attend to the 

 peculiarities of their hybernation in each of these states 

 in the order just laid down ; premising that we have yet 

 much to learn on this subject, no observations having 

 been instituted respecting the state in which multitudes 

 of insects pass the winter. 



