Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Temporary Poikilothermy in Birds

Abstract

IT appears to be well known to aviculturists and collectors that humming-birds are capable of a physiological state somewhat resembling hibernation in mammals, but of short duration; however, the fact seems not to have been recorded in the scientific literature. We propose to refer to this peculiar condition as ‘torpidity’. The observations here recorded were made partly in the field in Ecuador, partly in the Zoological Society's Gardens at Regent's Park.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Burbank, R. C., and Young, J. Z., J. Physiol., 82, 459 (1934).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lorenz, K., Vogelzug, 3, 4 (1932). Dupond, C., Le Gerfaut, 27, 226 (1932).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

HUXLEY, J., WEBB, C. & BEST, A. Temporary Poikilothermy in Birds. Nature 143, 683–684 (1939). https://doi.org/10.1038/143683b0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/143683b0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing