i88 MY NATURE NOTEBOOK. 



place the matter beyond doubt. So the hibernating 

 swallow or cuckoo must still take its place with the 

 viper that swallows its young and the hybrid "cat- 

 rabbit " both creatures which have been ramping at 

 large in the Press lately as well as our old friends 

 the sea-serpent and the toad buried in solid rock, 

 among the things which science regards as "not 

 proven." If the mere verbal testimony of credible 

 persons could establish a scientific fact, we should 

 have to believe that, at the approach of winter, 

 swallows " conglobulate " and fall in a lump together 

 to the bottom of a pond, where they spend the winter, 

 according to Dr. Johnson, in sleep. Plenty of credible 

 witnesses saw that happen in Dr. Johnson's time. 



