B. VIII.] THE HISTORY OF ANIMALS. 215 



the mud is thrown up, and the fish are thus brought to the 

 surface ; and they say that, vhen the bottom is disturbed, 

 more fish are often taken in the same cast the second than 

 the first time ; and after much rain animals make their 

 appearance which before were either not seen at all or but 

 seldom. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



1. MANY kinds of birds also conceal themselves, and they 

 do not all, as some suppose, migrate to warmer climates; 

 but those which are near the places of which they are 

 permanent inhabitants, as the kite and swallow, migrate 

 thither; but those that are farther off from such places do 

 not migrate, but conceal themselves; and many swallows 

 have been seen in hollow places almost stripped of feathers ; 

 and kites, when they first showed themselves, have come 

 from similar situations. Birds with crooked claws, and 

 those also with straight claws, conceal themselves indiscri 

 minately ; for the stork, blackbird, 1 turtle dove, and lark hide 

 tLemselves, and by general agreement the turtle dove most 

 of all, for no one is ever said to have seen one during the 

 winter. At the commencement of hyberuation it is very fat, 

 and during that season it loses its feathers, though they 

 remain thick for a long while. Some of the doves conceal 

 themselves ; others do not, but migrate along with the swal 

 lows. The thrush and the starling also conceal themselves, 

 aud among birds with crooked claws the kite and the owl are 

 not seen for a few days. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



1. AMONG viviparous quadrupeds the porcupines and bears 

 hyberuate. It is evident that the wild bears conceal them 

 selves ; but there is some doubt whether it is on account of 

 the cold or from any other cause, for at this season both the 

 males and females are so fat that they cannot move easily. 

 The female also produces her young at this season, and hides 

 herself until the cubs are of an age to be led forth. This 

 she does in the spring, about three months after the solstice, 

 and she continues invisible for at least forty days. During 

 fourteen days of this period they say that she does not move 

 at all. For more than this period afterwards she remain* 



K&amp;lt;&amp;gt;rru0of, Turdu? merula, Stractc, blackbird, bu* probably more thai 

 one kind ot bird a ii eluded under the same name. Compare U, 36, 2L 



