280 FACULTIES OF BIRDS. 



his authority, but we find the same circumstance 

 reported by Albertus Magnus, Gaspar Heldelin, Au- 

 gustine Niphus, and others. 



Unfortunately for the credibility of such accounts, 

 however, they all wear the aspect of fanciful con- 

 jecture rather than of a fact actually observed ; and 

 though we have accounts of similar circumstances 

 purporting to be from actual observation, they all 

 appear suspicious when strictly investigated. 



The following narrative by M. Achard was com- 

 municated to the Royal Society by Mr. Peter Col- 

 linson. "In the latter end of March," says he, "I 

 took my passage down the Rhine to Rotterdam. 

 A little below Basil, the south bank of the river was 

 very high and steep, of a sandy soil, sixty or eighty 

 feet above the water. 



" I was surprised at seeing near the top of the 

 cliff some boys tied to ropes, hanging down doing 

 something. The singularity of these adventurous 

 boys, and the business they so daringly attempted, 

 made us stop our navigation to inquire into the 

 meaning of it. The waterman told us they were 

 reaching the holes in the cliffs for swallows or mar- 

 tins, which took refuge in them, and remained there 

 all the winter, until warm weather, and then they 

 came abroad. The boys being let down by their 

 comrades to the holes, put in a long rammer, with 

 a screw at the end, such as is used to unload guns, 

 and, twisting it about, drew out the birds. For a 

 trifle I procured some of them. When I first had 

 them, they seemed stiff and lifeless ; I put one of 

 them in my bosom, between my skin and shirt, and 

 laid another on a board, the sun shining full and 

 warm upon it ; and one or two of my companions 

 did the like. That in my bosom revived in about a 

 quarter of an hour ; feeling it move, I took it out to 

 look at it ; but perceiving it not sufficiently come 

 to itself, I put it in again : in about another quarter, 

 feeling it flutter pretty briskly, I took it out and ad- 



