CORNCRAKES. 263 



they remained forgotten till the following Spring, when, 

 one morning, on hearing a noise, he opened the desk, 

 and found one of them fluttering about; the others also 

 began to show signs of life, and, upon being placed out 

 of doors in the sun, speedily arranged their plumage, 

 took wing, and disappeared. 



On the 2nd of November, 1829, at Loch. Ransa, in 

 the Island of Arran, a man, while digging in a place 

 where a pond had been lately drained off, discovered two 

 Swallows in a state of torpor: on placing them near the 

 fire, they recovered. One unfortunately escaped, but 

 the other was kept by the man for the purpose of show- 

 ing it to some scientific persons. 



In addition to these cases relating to Swallows, we 

 have two instances of dormant Corncrakes, which are 

 also migratory Summer birds. A farmer at Aikerness, 

 in Orkney, about mid-winter, in demolishing a mud wall, 

 there called a hill-dike, found a Corncrake in the midst 

 of it, a bird which is plentiful in Summer, but departs, 

 like Swallows, at the close of that season. It was appa- 

 rently lifeless ; but, being fresh to the feel and smell, it 

 was placed in a warm situation. In a short time it 

 began to move, and in a few hours was able to walk 

 about, and lived for two days in the kitchen ; but, re- 

 fusing all food, it died. 



The other occurred at Monaghan, in Ireland, where a 

 gentleman, having directed his labourers, in Winter, to 

 remove a large heap of manure, that had remained un- 

 disturbed for a great length of time, perceived a hole, 

 which was supposed to have been made by rats ; it 

 penetrated to a great depth, but at its termination, in- 

 stead of rats, three Corncrakes were discovered, as if 

 placed there with the greatest care, not a feather being 

 out of its place, and apparently lifeless. The birds, on 

 examination, were, however, considered to be in a torpid 

 state, and were placed near a fire in a warm room. In 

 the course of a short time a tremulous motion was ob- 

 served in one of their legs, and soon after a similar 



