MIGRATION. 281 
mired it. Being now perfectly recovered, before I 
was aware, it took flight; the covering of the boat 
prevented me seeing where it went. ‘The bird on 
the board, though exposed to a full sun, yet I pre- 
sume, from a chillness of the air, did not revive so 
as to be able to VT 
White of Selborne was so much convinced of the 
probability of swallows remaining hid or torpid du- 
ring winter, that he attempted to watch them to 
their retreat, and actually saw them dart down 
above some low shrubs for several evenings to- 
gether. 
The Rev. W. T. Bree, an excellent observer, who 
has for many years attended to the arrival and de- 
parture of swallows, seems to incline to a similar 
opinion with that of White. There can be no ques- 
tion, indeed, about the fact of some few swallows 
appearing early in April, and even in March, before 
the general flight arrive; a fact which is recorded 
in the proverb, that ‘‘ one swallow does not make 
summer,” common to most languages. ‘This is a. 
circumstance, according to these naturalists, ‘‘ much 
more in favour of hiding than migration, since it is 
more probable that a bird should retire to its hy- 
bernaculum, just at hand, than return for a week or 
two only to warmer latitudes.” After a review of 
all the facts bearing on the case, Mr. Bree concludes 
that, ‘‘ however far they may fall short of positive 
proof, they undoubtedly afford much probability to 
White’s opinion, that the Airundines do not all leave 
this island in winter.”*. 
Spallanzani saw swallows in October on the isl- 
and of Lipari, and he was told that when a warm 
southerly breeze blows in winter, they are frequent- 
ly seen skimming along the streets. He thence 
comes to the same conclusion as the preceding, that 
they do not pass into Africa at the approach of win- 
* Phil. Trans. for 1763. + Mag. Nat. His.., ii, 17. 
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