482 OBSERVATIONS. 



experiments made by Dr. Townson on his two frogs, Damon arid 

 Musidora. See his Tracts, p. 50. The general result of which has 

 proved the following curious fact : " that frogs take in their supply 

 of liquid through the sJciti alone, all the aqueous fluid which they 

 take in being absorbed by the skin, and all they reject being tran- 

 spired through it." One frog in an hour and half absorbed nearly 

 its own weight of water. 



P. 82. The very beautiful, one may almost say poetical way, in 

 which the male bird procures a mate by the power of his song, may 

 be seen in the preface to Mr. Montagu's Ornithological Dictionary, 

 p. xxx ; from which this corollary may be inferred, that if a con- 

 fined bird had learned the song of another, without retaining any 

 part of its natural notes, and was set at liberty, it is probable, it 

 would never find a mate of its own. 



P. 89. The ' bustard ' is extinct in Scotland : and as it is now so 

 scarce in England, owing to population and enclosures, it becomes 

 interesting to remark, that two birds of this kind, (male and female) 

 have been kept in the garden ground belonging to Norwich In- 

 firmary, and have but lately been sold by the owner of them. The 

 male bird was very beautiful and courageous, apparently afraid of 

 nothing, seizing any one that came near him by the coat ; yet on 

 the appearance of any small hawk high in the air, he would squat 

 close to the ground, expressing strong marks of fear. The female 

 was very shy. A tolerably good resemblance of the male is in 

 Pennant's British Zoology, v. 1, p. 284. 



P. 97. Concerning swallows, the reader will see, that Mr. White 

 appears to incline more and more in favour of their torpidity, and 

 against their migration. Mr. D. Barrington is still more positive on 

 the same side of the question. See his Miscellanies, p. 225. The 

 ancients generally mention this bird, as wintering in Africa. See 

 Anacreon, Xy. ed. Brunck. p. 38. The BJhodians had a festival 

 called xeXtdcH'ta, when the boys brought about young swallows ; the 

 song which they sang, may be seen in the works of Meursius. v. 3. 

 p. 974. fol. 



, rjXtte, ^eXit^y KaXds 

 s (lyovwd, KO.I KU\OVS 

 yaorejou Xevca, KUTTI rwra 



" He comes ! He comes ! who loves to bear 

 " Soft sunny hours, and seasons fair ; 

 " The swallow hither comes to rest 

 " His sable wing, and snowy breast/' 



