350 
IVILB BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS 
CHAP. 
process of starvation. The creature that can sleep 
through an existence of four months without food, 
and lose the whole of its fat during that interval of 
inaction, has already lost all that supported life 
during the period of total abstinence—the fat, or 
carbon. If it were to begin another turn of sleep 
in its exhausted state, it would be unable to support 
its existence. 
I therefore regard hybernation as the result of 
the highest physical condition, the animal being 
thoroughly fat; the food ceases, and the beast, 
knowing this fact, lays itself down to sleep, and 
exists upon its own fat, which gradually disappears 
during the interval of starvation. The bear wakes 
up in spring with a ragged ill-conditioned skin, 
instead of the glossy fur with which it nestled into 
rest; and it finds its coat a few sizes too large, 
until an industrious search for food shall have 
restored its figure to its original rotund proportions. 
The proof of this necessity for repose during a 
period of enforced abstinence will be observed in 
the independence of tropical bears, which do not 
hybernate, for the best of all reasons, “that there is 
no winter,” therefore they can procure their usual 
food throughout every season without difficulty or 
interruption. 
The animals of America are all exaggerated 
specimens of the species, and the grizzly bear, if 
standing by the side of the ordinary brown bear of 
Northern Europe, would hardly exhibit any striking 
difference except in superior size and a slight 
