roasted," said the doctor, laughing.

"And why not?" answered the American.

"At any rate, they have not tried; still, I stand up for my
countrymen. There's one thing I must not forget; it is incredible if
one can doubt of the accuracy of the witnesses. The Duke of Ragusa and
Dr. Jung, a Frenchman and an Austrian, saw a Turk dive into a bath
which stood at 170 degrees."

"But it seems to me," said Johnson, that that is not equal to other
people you mentioned."

"I beg your pardon," answered the doctor; there is a great difference
between entering warm air and entering warm water; warm air induces
perspiration, and that protects the skin, while in such hot water
there is no perspiration and the skin is burned. Hence a bath is
seldom hotter than 107 degrees. This Turk must have been an
extraordinary man to have been able to endure so great heat."

"Dr. Clawbonny," asked Johnson, "what is the usual temperature of
living beings?"

"It varies very much," answered the doctor; "birds are the warmest
blooded, and of these the duck and hen are the most remarkable; their
temperature is above 110 degrees, while that of the owl is not more
than 104 degrees; then come the mammalia, men; the temperature of
Englishmen is generally 101 degrees."

"I'm sure Mr. Altamont is going to claim something more for the
Americans," said Johnson.

"Well," said Altamont, "there are some very warm; but as I've never
placed a thermometer into their thorax or under their tongue, I can't
be sure about it."

"The difference of temperature," resumed the doctor, "between men of
different races is quite imperceptible when they are placed in the
same circumstances, whatever be the nature of their bringing-up; I
should add, that the temperature varies but little between men at the
equator and at the pole."

"So," said Altamont, "our temperature is about the same here as in
England?"

"About the same," answered the doctor; "as to the other mammalia,
their temperature is a trifle higher than that of man. The horse is
about the same, as well as the hare, the elephant, the porpoise, the
tiger; but the cat, the squirrel, the rat, panther, sheep, ox, dog,
monkey, goat, reach 103 degrees; and the warmest of all, the pig, goes
above 104 degrees."

"That is humiliating for us," said Altamont.

"Then come amphibious animals and fish, whose temperature varies very
much according to that of the water. The serpent does not go above 86
degrees, the fro