86 CLASS AVES. 



days and an half. There remained, therefore, no doubt, that 

 the buried birds died from cold and not from starvation, and 

 did not pass into a lethargic state ; and hence we may con- 

 clude they never do, a piece of knowledge, like many of 

 those of the Italian naturalist, purchased at far too high a 

 price, — no less than the sacrifice of the best feelings of 

 humanity, when the end proposed was merely one of curiosity 

 inapplicable to all useful purposes. 



So prevalent, even still, is the notion, that swallows take 

 spontaneously to the beds of rivers, or pass the winter in a 

 torpid state, that the re-recital of these experiments, and 

 matter of fact to refute them, is not, as yet, needless. 



Swallows have been kept in cages during the whole winter, 

 and have been found to moult during that season, which could 

 not happen if the birds were under water. In Mr. Bewick's 

 History of British Birds is the following account, from the 

 pen of Mr. Pearson : — 



" Five or six of these birds were taken about the latter 

 end of August, 17^4, in a bat fowling-net at night ; they 

 were put separately into small cages and fed with nightin- 

 gale's food ; in about a week or ten days they took food of 

 themselves ; they were then put all together 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 observed 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, 

 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 were allowed 

 to wash themselves occasionally for a short time only, but 



