224 BARN SWALLOW. 



selves, and seemed much strengthened by it. One day Mr. Pearson 

 observed that they went into the water with unusual eagerness, hurry- 

 ing in and out again repeatedly with such swiftness as if they had been 

 suddenly seized with a frenzy. Being anxious to see the result, he left 

 them to themselves about half an hour, and going to the cage again 

 found them all huddled together in a corner apparently dead ; the cage 

 was then placed at a proper distance from the fire, when only two of 

 them recovered and were as healthy as before — the rest died. The two 

 remaining ones were allowed to wash themselves occasionally for a short 

 time only ; but their feet soon after became swelled and inflamed, which 

 Mr. P. attributed to their perching, and they died about Christmas. 

 Thus the first year's experiment was in some measure lost. Not dis- 

 couraged by the failure of this, Mr. P. determined to make a second 

 trial the succeeding year, from a strong desire of being convinced of the 

 truth of their going into a state of torpidity. Accordingly the next 

 season having taken some more birds he put them into the cage, and in 

 every respect pursued the same methods as with the last ; but to guard 

 their feet from the bad effects of the damp and cold he covered the 

 perches with flannel, and had the pleasure to observe that the birds 

 throve extremely well ; they sung their song during the winter, and soon 

 after Christmas began to moult, which they got through without any 

 difiiculty, and lived three or four years, regularly moulting every year 

 at the usual time. On the renewal of their feathers it appeared that 

 their tails were forked exactly the same as in those birds which return 

 hither in the spring, and in every respect their appearance was the same. 

 These birds, says Mr. Pearson, were exhibited to the Society for Pro- 

 moting Natural History, on the fourteenth day of February, 1786, at 

 the time they were in a deep moult, during a severe frost, when the 

 snow was on the ground. Minutes of this circumstance were entered 

 in the books of the society. These birds died at last from neglect, 

 during a long illness which Mr. Pearson had : they died in the summer. 

 Mr. P. concludes his very interesting account in these words : January 

 20th, 1797, I have now in my house. No. 21, Great Newport street, 

 Long Acre, four Swallows in moult, in as perfect health as any birds 

 ever appeared to be when moulting." 



The Barn Swallow of the United States has hitherto been considered 

 by many writers as the same with the common Chimney Swallow of 

 Europe. They differ, however, considerably, in color, as well as in 

 habits ; the European species having the belly and vent white, the 

 American species those parts of a bright chestnut ; the former building 

 in the corners of chimneys, near the top, the latter never in such places ; 

 but usually in barns, sheds, and other outhouses, on beams, braces, 

 rafters, &c. It is diflicult to reconcile these constant differences of 

 manners and markings in one and the same bird ; I shall therefore take 



