128 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



LETTER XII 



TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES BARRINGTON 



March 9, 1772. 

 DEAR SIR, 



As a gentleman and myself were walking on the fourth of 

 last November round the sea-banks at Newhaven, near 

 the mouth of the Lewes river, in pursuit of natural know- 

 ledge, we were surprised to see three house-swallows 

 gliding very swiftly by us. That morning was rather 

 chilly, with the wind at north-west ; but the tenor of the 

 weather for some time before had been delicate, and the 

 noons remarkably warm. From this incident, and from 

 repeated accounts which I meet with, I am more and more 

 induced to believe that many of the swallow kind do not 

 depart from this island ; but lay themselves up in holes 

 and caverns ; and do, insect-like and bat-like, come forth 

 at mild times, and then retire again to their latebrae. Nor 

 make I the least doubt but that, if I lived at Newhaven, 

 Seaford, Brighthelmstone, or any of those towns near the 

 chalk-cliffs of the Sussex coast, by proper observations, I 

 should see swallows stirring at periods of the winter, when 

 the noons were soft and inviting, and the sun warm and 

 invigorating. And I am the more of this opinion from 

 what I have remarked during some of our late springs, 

 that though some swallows did make their appearance 

 about the usual time, viz. the thirteenth or fourteenth of 

 April, yet meeting with an harsh reception, and blustering 

 cold north-east winds, they immediately withdrew, abscond- 

 ing for several days, till the weather gave them better 

 encouragement. 



