BRITISH BIRDS. 301 



few have succeeded. The following experiments, 

 by Mr. James Pearson, of London, communicated 

 to us by Sir John Trevelyan, Bart., are highly 

 interesting, and throw great light upon the natural 

 history of the Swallow ; we shall give them nearly 

 in Mr. Pearson's own words. 



Five or six of these birds were taken about the 

 latter end of August, 1784, in a bat fowling-net, at 

 night; they were put separately into small cages, 

 and fed with Nightingale's food: in about a week 

 or ten days they took food of themselves; they 

 were then put altogether into a deep cage, four feet 

 long, with gravel at the bottom; a broad shallow 

 pan with water was placed in it, in which they 

 sometimes washed themselves, and seemed much 

 strengthened by it. One day Mr. Pearson observ- 

 ed, that they went into the water with unusual 

 eagerness, hurrying in and out again repeatedly, 

 with such swiftness as if they had been suddenly 

 seized with a frenzy. Being anxious to see the 

 result, he left them to themselves about half an 

 hour, and on going to the cage again, found them 

 all huddled together in a corner, apparently dead; 

 the cage was then placed at a proper distance from 

 the fire, when only two of them recovered, and 

 were as healthy as before the rest died. The 

 two remaining ones were allowed to wash them- 

 selves occasionally for a short time only; but their 

 feet soon after became swelled and inflamed, 

 which Mr. P. attributed to their perching, and 

 they died about Christmas; thus the first year's 

 experiment was in some measure lost. Not dis- 

 couraged by the failure of this, Mr. P. determined 

 to make a second trial the succeeding year, from a 



