444 HYBERNATION OF INSECTS. 



the torpid condition which Reaumur supposes, in which 

 food, so far from being necessary, is injurious to them. 

 In fact, Reaumur himself in another place informs us, 

 that bees are so infinitely more sensible of cold than the 

 generality of insects, that they perish when in numbers 

 so small as to be unable to generate sufficient animal 

 heat to counteract the external cold, even at 11 R. 

 above freezing a (57 F.) ; which corresponds with what 

 Huber has observed (as quoted above) of the high tem- 

 perature of well-peopled hives, even in very severe wea- 

 ther. We are forced, then, to conclude that this usually 

 most accurate of observers has in the present instance 

 been led into error, chiefly, it is probable, from the 

 clustering of bees in the hives in cold weather ; but 

 which, instead of being, as he conceived, an indication 

 of torpidity, would seem to be intended, as Huber as- 

 serts, as a preservative against the benumbing effects of 

 cold. 



Bees, then, do not appear to pass the winter in a 

 state of torpidity in our climates, and probably not in 

 any others. Populous swarms inhabiting hives formed of 

 the hollow trunks of trees, used in many northern regions, 

 or of other materials that are bad conductors of heat, 

 seem able to generate and keep up a temperature suffi- 

 cient to counteract the intensest cold to which they are 

 ordinarily exposed. At the same time, however, I think 

 we may infer, that though bees are not strictly torpid at 

 that lowest degree of heat which they can sustain, yet 

 that when exposed to that degree they consume consi- 

 derably less food than at a higher temperature ; and con- 

 sequently that the plan of placing hives in a north aspect 

 a Reaum. 678. Compare also 673. 



