TORPIDITY. 51 



summer, when the thermometer in the shade stood at 78. 

 Professor MANGILI states the ordinary heat of the hedge- 

 hog a little lower, at 27 of Reaumur, or about 93 of Fah- 

 renheit. In winter, according to JENNER, the tempera- 

 ture of the air being 44, and the animal torpid, the heat in 

 the pelvis was 45, and at the diaphragm 48 J. When the 

 temperature of the atmosphere was at 26, the heat of the 

 animal in the cavity of the abdomen, where an incision was 

 made, was reduced so low as 30. The same animal, when 

 exposed to the cold atmosphere of 26 for two days, had its 

 heat at the rectum elevated to 93, the wound in the abdo- 

 men being so much diminished in size as not to admit the 

 thermometer. At this time, however, it was lively and ac- 

 tive, and the bed in which it lay felt warm. As this ani- 

 mal allowed its heat. to descend to 30, when in its natural 

 state of torpidity, and when there was no necessity for ac- 

 tion, the increased temperature may in part be ascribed to 

 the wound, which called forth the powers of the animal to 

 repair an injury, which reparation could not be effected at 

 a temperature below the standard heat of the animal. The 

 sources of error in making experiments where the living 

 principle is concerned, are so numerous, that attention 

 ought to be bestowed on every circumstance likely to influ- 

 ence the result. 



The zizil (Arctomys citillus), according to PALLAS, usu- 

 ally possesses a summer temperature of 103 Fahr. but du- 

 ring winter, and when torpid, the mercury rises only to 80 

 or 84. The temperature of the dormouse during sum- 

 mer, and in its active and healthy state, is 101. When 

 rolled up and torpid, during winter, the thermometer indi- 

 cates 43, 39, and even 35, on the external parts of the 

 body. When introduced into the stomach, the tempera- 

 ture was found to be 67, and sometimes 73. MANGILI 

 found this animal torpid even when the temperature of the 



