are said to do on the yelpings of jackals. Lapwings 

 and starlings sometimes associate. 



Selborne, Feb. 8, 1772. 



I 



LETTER XLIX. 

 To THE Honourable Daines Barrington. 



As a gentleman and myself were walking on the 

 4th of last November round the sea-banks at New- 

 haven, near the mouth of the Lewes river, in pursuit 

 of natural knowledge, we were surprised to see three 

 house-swallows gliding very swiftly by us. That 

 morning was rather chilly, with the wind at north- 

 west ; but the tenor of the weather for some time 

 before had been delicate, and the noons remarkably 

 warm. From this incident, and from repeated ac- 

 counts which I meet with, I am more and more in- 

 duced to believe that many of the swallow kind do 

 not depart from this island ; but lay themselves up 

 in holes and caverns ; and do, insect-like and bat- 

 like,* come forth at mild times, and then retire again 



* Concerning swallows, the reader will see that Mr. White appears 

 to incline more and more in favour of their torpidity, and against their 

 migration. Mr. D. Barrington is still more positive on the same side of 

 the question ; yet the ancients generally mention this bird as wintering 

 in Africa. See Anacreon A.7. ed. Brunck. p. 38. The Rhodians had a 

 festival called x€At5(i»/m, when the boys brought about young swallows ; 



175 



