Class II. SWALLOWS. - 



This rendevouz of fwallows about the fame time 

 of year is very common on the willows, in the lit- 

 tle ifles in the "Thames. They feem to affemble 

 for the fame purpofe as thofe in Hampjhire^ not- 

 withftanding no one yet has been eye witnefs of 

 their departure. On the 26th of September laft, 

 two Gentlemen who happened to lie at Maidenhead 

 bridge^ furniflied at left a proof of the multitudes 

 there afTembled : they went by torch-light to an 

 adjacent ifle, and in lefs than half an hour brought 

 afhore fifty dozen ; for they had nothing more to 

 do than to draw the willow twio-s throup-h their 

 hands, the birds never flirting till they were taken. 



The northern naturalifts will perhaps fay, that 

 this afTembly met for the purpofe of plunging into 

 their fubaqueous winter quarters ; but was that the 

 cafe, they would never efcape difcovery in a river 

 perpetually filhed as the Thames., fome of them 

 muft inevitably be brought up in the nets that harafs 

 that water. 



The fecond notion has great antiquity on its 

 fide. Ariftotle * and Tliny f «give, as their belief, 

 that fwallows do not remove very far from their 

 fummer habitation, but winter in the hollows of 

 rocks, and during that time lofe their feathers. 

 The former part of their opinion has been adopted 

 by feveral ingenious men •, and of late, feveral 

 proofs have been brought of fpme fpecies, at left, 



• Hijl. an. 93 ij. 

 \ Lib. 10. c, 24, 



Vol. I. E e having 



