44 CORNCRAKES. HUMMING-BIRDS. 



Winter to remove a large heap of manure, that had 

 remained undisturbed 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 appa- 

 rently lifeless. The birds, on examination, were, 

 however, considered to be in a torpid state, arid 

 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 simi- 

 lar 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 some- 

 times overtaken by cold, and have been known to 

 fall into a torpid state t. 



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 throughout 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 



* Ed. Journ. vol. viii. 



f Phil. Mag. vol. xxii. 



