SWALLOWS. 245 



remove a large heap of manure, that had remained undis- 

 turbed for a great length of time, perceived a hole, which 

 was supposed to have been made by rats ; it penetrated to 

 a great depth, but at its termination, instead of rats, three 

 Corncrakes were discovered, as if placed there with the 

 greatest care, not a feather being out of its place, and 

 apparently lifeless. The birds, on examination, were, how- 

 ever, considered to be in a torpid state, and were placed 

 near a fire in a warm room. In the course of a short time 

 a tremulous motion was observed in one of their legs, and 

 soon after a similar motion was noticed in the legs and 

 wings of the whole, which at length extended itself to their 

 whole bodies, and, finally, the birds were enabled to run and 

 fly about the room.* 



Humming-birds also, we are assured, are sometimes over- 

 taken by cold, and have been known to fall into a torpid 

 state.f 



It has been argued, that as some animals, such as the 

 bear, dormouse, &c., are subject to long seasons of torpidity, 

 during which time they require no food, Swallows may, in 

 like manner, continue in a torpid slumbering state through- 

 out the Winter. A few experiments, carefully attended to, 

 might throw additional light upon the subject. If Swallows, 

 for instance, were exposed to cold, at or near the freezing- 

 point, sleep might overcome them, just as it does travellers 

 who have been accidentally exposed to the inclemency of the 

 weather : on becoming benumbed, we know that drowsiness 

 commences, which, if not shaken off by active exertion, 

 inevitably ends in death. If man is subject to this effect, as 

 well as some animals, why may not Swallows ? Two of 

 these birds were, a Summer or two ago, caught, and placed for 

 twenty-four hours in a cage suspended in an ice-house ; at the 

 expiration of this time, one was found dead, but the other 

 was alive, and when released, flew away in perfect vigour. 

 In this case, therefore, nothing was learned from the ex- 

 periment. But the constitution of the bird may be different 



* Ed. Journ., vol. viii. t Phil. Mag., vol. xxii. 



