CURIOUS CREATURES. 189 



(as I have heard) very lucky by the inhabitants when 



swallows build nests on their habitations 



Rhodocanakis" 



Of course, these stories of curious hybernation were 

 pooh-poohed, although it could not be denied that the 

 subaqueous hybernation of swallows is given in Gold- 

 smith's "Animated Nature," and many other Natural 

 Histories, which succeeded his. 



The wintering of swallows in caverns, has another 

 eye-witness in Edward Williams (lolo Morganwg), who in 

 his "Poems, Lyrics, and Pastorals," published 1794, says: 

 "About the year 1768, the author, with two or three 

 more, found a great number of swallows in a torpid 

 state, clinging in clusters to each other by their bills, 

 in a cave of the sea-cliffs near Dunraven Castle, in the 

 County of Glamorgan. They revived after they had 

 been some hours in a warm room, but died a day or 

 two after, though all possible care had been taken of 

 them." 



THE MARTLET, AND FOOTLESS BIRDS. 



Of the Martin, or, as in Heraldry it is written, Martlet, 

 Guillim thus writes : " The Martlet, or Martinet, saith 

 Bekenhawh, hath Legs so exceeding short, that they can 

 by no means go : (walk) And thereupon, it seemeth, the 

 Grecians do call them Apodes, quasi sine pedibus ; not 

 because they do want Feet, but because they have not 

 such Use of their Feet, as other Birds have. And if 

 perchance they fall upon the Ground, they cannot raise 

 themselves upon their Feet, as others do, and prepare 

 themselves to flight. For this Cause they are accus- 

 tomed to make their Nests upon Rocks and other high 

 places, from whence they may easily take their flight, 



