IIIRUNDO. SWALLOW. 557 



white, or having a light ground with reddish spots. They 

 moult once in the year, and always in their winter quarters, 

 so that they arrive in the colder regions in full plumage. " I am 

 indebted," says M. Temminck, " to M. Natterer of Vienna for 

 the very interesting observation that the Swallows and Swifts 

 moult once a-year in February, therefore at the time of their 

 residence in the warm climates of Africa and Asia : a fact which 

 is fatal to the alleged winter torpidity or sleep of these birds. 

 M. Natterer's observations were made on swallows kept in 

 cages, of which a few lived eight and nine years in captivity." 

 As to the torpidity of these birds in winter, their being found 

 in holes, and under water, it is surely now time to give up so 

 absurd a notion. It is strange but true that fancies of this 

 sort, such as the breeding of geese from barnacle shells, remain 

 for ages matters of popular belief, after the learned, with whom 

 perhaps they originated, have given them up. 



The Swallows differ considerably from each other in the size 

 of the bill, the form of the tail, the clothing or nakedness of 

 the feet, and other circumstances, insomuch that several sec- 

 tions might be instituted in the genus ; but as only three spe- 

 cies occur in Britain, it is unnecessary to separate them in this 

 manner. As all our species are referred to the single genus 

 Ilirundo, so they all ought to receive a single generic name, 

 Swalloiv. One of them has been named the Chimney Swallow, 

 and another the Window Swallow or JNIartin ; but these names 

 are not very correct, for the former rarely builds in chimneys, 

 and both nestle in windows, as well as in other places. I 

 therefore prefer naming the one the Ked-fronted, aud the 

 other the White- rumped. 



