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 fly."* 



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." A*fter 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 hirundines 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. f Mag. Nat. His.., ii, 17. 



AA2 



