On Hybernation: 8^ 



understood and practised by themselves call forth all our 

 admiration. 



In ornithology no individual member of the family has 

 excited more interest or more discussion than the swallow 

 (hirundo.) Its immersion has often been asserted, and as 

 often contradicted. The archbishop of Upsala was the 

 first person who suggested the idea that this bird passed ita 

 winter beneath the icy wave, and he asserts that they are 

 frequently found in massive clusters in northern lakes ; but 

 all this is just as true as what the learned archbishop says 

 about showers of mice. Linnaeus was of opinion that the 

 chimney swallow and the martin immersed themselves, but 

 that the swifts or common swallow of Europe hybernated 

 in church towers, &c. Many other naturalists of emi- 

 nence have maintained the same idea, but I do not believe 

 it to be upheld by one well attested fact, and I hope to 

 prove it to be equally contrary to truth, as it is contrary to 

 reason. 



If we examine the conformation of the common swallow, 

 (Hirundo Americana,) we find that every part of it is pe- 

 culiarly fitted for flight, and it certainly is one of the most 

 rapid of birds. Having therefore the power of locomo- 

 tion to so great a degree, why should we suppose it to 

 leave its aerial element and sportive joyous windings, to 

 remain in an insensible state for seven months in a muddy 

 and watery bed ? It has been urged that we do not see it 

 on its flight to the south like the pigeon and other birds ; 

 but the minute observer is not less sure of their migration. 

 On the approach of cold weather the swallow may be seen 

 in the evening to pass over our low grounds skimming the 

 surface of the fields to the south in such numbers that hun- 

 dreds have been counted in a minute, their rapid flight con- 

 veying them in a few hours to a more congenial tempera- 

 ture. The difficulties of the migration of birds vanish when 

 we consider the great rapidity of their flight. 



"A Falcon which belonged to Henry the IVth of France, 

 escaped from Fontainbleau, and in twenty-four hours was 

 found at Malta, a distance computed to be no less than 

 1.350 miles : A velocity nearly equal to sixty-seven miles 

 an hour, supposing the falcon to have been on wing the 

 whole time. But as such birds never fly at night, and al, 

 lowing the day to be at the longest, his flight was perhapg 



Vol. IX.— No. 1. U 



