SWALLOWS. 265 



lethargic and moping; and so tame were many, that 

 they were taken by hand from the window-sills on which 

 they had perched. For experiment's sake, our informant 

 put his arm out of an attic-story window, and in a short 

 time one of them settled on his hand ; he withdrew it, 

 expecting the bird would fly off, but there it remained, 

 giving him ample time to examine it more narrowly. Its 

 eyes appeared nearly shut, its wings and tail drooping, 

 and its whole frame in a torpid state. Finding some 

 force necessary to take it from his hand, he had the cu- 

 riosity to whirl it round several times, but to no purpose, 

 the only exertion of the bird used being a languid ex- 

 pansion of the wings for preserving its seat, which it did 

 by grasping its claws so firmly as to draw blood from the 

 hand. In the course of the day he collected twenty, 

 confining them at large in a room. 



" On their first introduction they perched themselves 

 on various parts, and appeared as languid as their neigh- 

 bours out of doors. In a short time, one, which had 

 placed itself on the mantel-piece near a small fire, was 

 observed to become more lively, moving its head with a 

 good deal of animation, and seeming to enjoy the warmth. 

 On this the fire was increased, and the air in the room 

 considerably warmed ; on which the little prisoners soon 

 became more sprightly, and flew about the room as ra- 

 pidly as on a Summer's day in the open air. Between 

 eight and nine o'clock the main body went off, with the 

 exception of five or six, and were absent for about two 

 hours, when they returned in seemingly greater numbers 

 than before, and remained till the following morning, 

 when, between nine and ten o'clock, there appeared a 

 great commotion amongst them, and within a few minutes 

 they all took their departure, in a south-east direction, 

 appearing to have entirely cast aside their torpidity, and 

 to be as full of animation as ever. Their flight was at 

 a great height, further than the eye could reach, to which 

 they rose by several circumvolutions; that, is, flying 

 round in large circles, just as Kites and Ravens do when 



