120 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



minutes of perfect repose the animal respired from twenty- 

 two to twenty-four times together in the space of a minute 

 and a half. When the thermometer rose a degree, the in- 

 tervals did not exceed three minutes, but the number of 

 respirations continued the same. On the 29th December 

 the thermometer stood at one degree above freezing, when 

 the respirations were twenty-six to twenty-eight, and the 

 interval between the .series about six minutes. On the 3d 

 of January the frost became very severe, and the Loir 

 roused itself, passed some excrement, and ate a little, and 

 did not again become lethargic till the temperature became 

 more moderate. When carried to a place where the tem- 

 perature was kept at from 3 to 5°, its lethargy continued. 

 The intervals of non-respiration became from six to eighteen 

 minutes, and the number of respirations at each series 

 always from eighteen to twenty. He waked again on the 

 9th of January, when the temperature was at 2°. On the 

 10th of February the temperature was at 7°, when the 

 number of respirations was from thirteen to fifteen, and 

 the intervals eighteen to twenty minutes. Placed suddenly 

 in a receiver with an artificial cold, 1° below freezing, the 

 animal appeared to suffer, and its respiration became 

 stronger, more frequent, and without interruption ; the 

 cold having been artificially increased to 6° below zero, the 

 animal, after an accelerated and continued respiration, 

 awoke, and endeavoured to escape ; when again put into a 

 box with the temperature at 7°, it quickly fell into the le- 

 thargic state, and on the 31st of February, the temperature 

 continuing the same, its respirations were not more than 

 five, six, or seven, after intervals of from twenty-eight to 

 thirty-five minutes ; it continued in this state till the 12th 

 of March, when it awoke. 



We may, therefore, conclude, that the lethargic condi- 

 tion of this species is the most profound when the tem- 

 perature is at from 5° to 7° above zero, and that a more 



