4.44: HYBERNATION OF INSECTS. 
torpidity. When first uncovered their antenne were 
laid back; and it was only after the sun had shone some 
seconds upon them that they exhibited symptoms of 
animation, and after stretching out these organs began 
to walk. Close by them lay a single Rhynchenus Pomo- 
rum, but in so deep a sleep that at first I thought it 
dead. It gave no sign of life when placed on my hand, 
quite hot with the exercise of digging; and it was only 
after being kept there some seconds, and breathed upon 
several times, that it first slowly unfolded its rostrum, 
and then its limbs. It deserves remark, that all these in- 
sects, thus differently affected, were on the same side of 
the tree, under a similar covering of bark, and apparently 
equally exposed to the sun, which shone full upon the 
covering of their retreat?. 
All insects, however, do not undergo this degree of 
torpidity. In fact, there are some, though but few, which 
a Since writing the above, I have had another opportunity of 
confirming the observations here made. The last week of January 
1817, in the neighbourhood of Hull, was most delicious weather— 
calm, sunny, dry, and genial—the wind south-west, the thermome- 
ter from 47° to 52° every day, and at night rarely below 40°; in fact, 
a week much finer than we can often boast of in May: the 27th of 
the month was the most delightful day of the whole: the air 
swarmed with Trichocera hiemalis, Psychode, and numerous other 
Diptera, and the bushes were hung with the lines of the gossamer- 
spider as in autumn. Yet, with the exception of Aphodius contami- 
natus, 1 did not observe a single coleopterous insect on the wing, 
nor even an individual tempted to crawl on the trunks of the trees, 
under the dead bark of which I found many in a very lively state. 
Five or six individuals of Haltica Nemorum were still very lethargic; 
and.two of Geotrupes stercorarius, which I accidentally dug up from 
their hybernacula in the earth at the depth of six or eight inches, 
though the Acari upon them were quite alert, exhibited every sym- 
ptom of complete torpor. 
