Class II. SWALLOWS. 



on digging out a fox, whole biiOiels of fvvallows 

 were found in a torpid condition. And, 



Laftly, The Reverend Mr. Conway^ of Sychton, 

 Flint/hire^ was fo obliging as to communicate the 

 following fa6l : A few years ago, on looking down 

 an old lead mine in that county, he obferved num- 

 bers of fwallows clinging to the timbers of the 

 fhaft, feemingly aflecp ^ and on flinging fome 

 gravel on them, they juft moved, but never at- 

 tempted to fly or change their place *, this was be- 

 tween All Saints and Chriftmas. 



Thefe are doubtlefs the lurking places of the 

 latter hatches, or of thofe young birds, who are 

 incapable of diftant migrations. There they con- 

 tinue infenfible and rigid ; but like flies may fome- 

 times be reanimated by an unfeafonable hot day 

 in the midft of winter : for very near Chrijlmas a 

 few appeared on the moulding of a window of 

 Merton College^ Oxford^ in a remarkably warm nook, 

 which prematurely fet their blood in motion, hav- 

 ing the fame eff'ed: as laying them before the fire 

 at the fame time of year. Others have been known 

 to make this premature appearance-, but as foon 

 as the cold natural to the feafon returns, they 

 withdraw again to their former retreats. 



I fhall conclude with one argument drawn from 

 the very late hatches of two fpecies. 



On the twenty-third of October 1767, a mar- 

 tin was feen in Southwark^ flying in and out of its 

 neft : and on the twenty-ninth of the fame month, 



E e 2 four 



