DO SWALLOWS HIBERNATE? 163 



more sitting upon the top rail of a section of half-sub- 

 merged fence in the marshy meadow facing the cliff. Ap- 

 proaching as near as I could, I found them unable, or, at 

 least, indisposed to fly ; and finally, getting to them, 

 found them thoroughly soaked, and readily taken by the 

 hand. Those that endeavored to escape fell into the 

 water, and were lost in the dead bulrushes that projected 

 above its surface. I presume that many were drowned. 

 My explanation of the occurrence is this : they were in- 

 sect hunting when the storm commenced, and, taking 

 refuge upon the fence, they were awaiting the slow pro- 

 cess of drying of feathers, by exposure to the wind and 

 the fitful sunshine. This accomplished they would have 

 been themselves again. On the other hand, had I not 

 seen these swallows previously, there was every reason to 

 lead me to suppose that they had suddenly appeared 

 from some near-at-hand hiding-place, where they had 

 been quietly at rest during the winter just closed ; and 

 had any one following in my footsteps found the poor 

 struggling birds that I had caused to fall into the water, 

 then natural, indeed, would it have been to suppose that 

 from the water itself had emerged these chilled and help- 

 less birds at the first breath of spring ! 



Now, on the 19th of March, 1880, there was a cold 

 storm, with both snow and rain. Two days previously I 

 had seen two bank - swallows. Thinking that others 

 might be about, and desirious of seeing them during a 

 rain, I went to the cliff near my house, but saw nothing 

 of them. Lingering about the place for some time, I 

 finally saw three emerge from holes in the cliff, and, after 

 fluttering about a short time (the rain had then stopped), 

 they alighted on a stake projecting from the water, where 

 they remained -fully ten minutes. The rain commencing 

 again to fall, one flew away, and went, I think, to the 



