DO SWALLOWS HIBERNATE? 179 



one chimney during summer, it is fair to presume that, 

 in hibernating, equal numbers would then also be congre- 

 gated. No such swallow bonanza is yet upon record. 

 On the other hand, if chimney-swallows are thus dis- 

 posed of during winter, it becomes easy to account for 

 stragglers that, for some unknown reasons, have not joined 

 the innumerable ranks of their fellows in their southern 

 flight ; but which, in lieu of this, have essayed to brave 

 the winter by seeking such shelter, in protected places, as 

 they may find. That such stragglers can survive an ordi- 

 nary winter has not been shown can not be, until they 

 are taken in full vigor from their hiding-places at the 

 close of the season. To find living swallows in a cave, 

 tree, or chimney in February or March, would be a deci- 

 sive matter; to find such birds before New-Year's-day 

 does not show that they would be able to remain in health 

 the season through, and reappear in fall vigor in March 

 or April. 



Judging solely from my own scanty observations, the 

 chimney-swallow is practically a migratory bird, so far as 

 New Jersey is concerned. In what manner the winter 

 is spent beyond our boundaries, I can not say, but offer 

 such trivial instances as I have related as possibly confirm- 

 atory of the belief on the part of many, that, like bats, 

 they strictly hibernate. It remains as yet, however, an 

 open question ; but to discover that such was really true 

 of them would have little bearing upon such a strange 

 belief as that true swallows hibernate in mud. 



What is still needed is a system of the most careful 

 observations, made without a trace of preconceived opin- 

 ions. "What child but thinks that our flying-squirrels 

 really fly, instead of sail through the air ! Too often, igno- 

 rant ourselves, we give evasive answers to our children, 

 and many errors are thus perpetuated by the world at 



