THE COMMON SWIFT. 359 



warm room soon revive and fly about. It is not at all 

 improbable that the stories of swallows being drawn up 

 from the bottom by ice-nets in the winter time, originate in 

 consequence of some of the individuals who took part in the 

 fishing, or who were lookers on, having found a quantity of 

 bats in a hollow tree either standing or prostrate by the 

 side of the water, and having carried them into a house where 

 they revived. It is possible that on these occasions some 

 person or other, even amongst those engaged in fishing, may 

 not have known that the bats were found in the tree, but 

 believed they were drawn up with the net ; or that these 

 individuals had forgotten the former circumstance altogether, 

 whereas the latter was brought to their recollection a long 

 time afterwards ; and these faint reminiscences were at length 

 converted into full belief. Those who were acquainted with 

 the natural solution of the phenomenon, paid no attention 

 to the matter, and soon forgot all about it ; but those who, 

 on the contrary, imagined there was something miraculous 

 in it, not only retained their first impressions, but these 

 became more and more strengthened in the course of time 

 merely because of the marvel." 



The learned Professor concluded his address by proposing, 

 that as some phenomenon or other, as yet unknown to science, 

 may have given rise to the fable of the swallow passing the 

 winter in the water, it should be placed on their records, 

 that every supposed instance of the kind, properly authenti- 

 cated as to dates and localities, would be thankfully received 

 by the academy. 



The Common Swift (Torn-Svala, or Tower- Swallow, Sw. ; 

 Cypselus Apus, Flem.) was common with us, as also through- 

 out Scandinavia, from Scania to northern Lapland. On 



