Xll 



happened to have in his head when he was writing. 

 There are several species of swallow known in distant 

 parts of the world, which are unknown in this coun- 

 try; but the British species are known in almost all 

 countries. 



The present sheets merely exhibit such evidence 

 from ancient and modern writers on both sides of 

 the aforementioned question, as I have happened to 

 collect, and such arguments as I am enabled to bring 

 forward by a hasty examination of this subject. The 

 paper was first printed in the year one thousand eight 

 hundred and eight, and has lately got out of print. 

 Since its former publication, I have examined several 

 persons who have seen swallows many miles out at 

 sea in spring and autumn, but whose accounts have 

 not been accurate enough to render their publica- 

 tion of any use in determining this question : the 

 narrators did not notice the particular species, and 

 their accounts are only alluded to as affording cor- 

 roboration of the opinion I have always entertained 

 of the migration of these birds. This paper is re- 

 published, that it may excite attention to the subject, 

 and may induce people to bring before the public 

 such accounts, either of the noticed flights of swal- 

 lows at sea, or of their discovery in a state of tor- 

 pidity in the land, as may at present be only known 

 to a few individuals. 



