476 T H E P H I L O S O P H Y 



lows, Inflead of being on their paflage from Europe, were only 

 flitting from the Cape de Verde iflands to the continent of Africa, 

 a much fhorter flight, but to which they feemed to be unequal, as 

 they were obliged, from fatigue, to light upon the fhip, and fall in- 

 to the hands of the failors. 



Swallows, Mr Kalm remarks, appear in the Jerfies about the be- 

 ginning of April. They are, on their firft arrival, wet, becaufe they 

 have juft emerged from the fea or lakes, at the bottom of which 

 they had remained in a torpid ftate during the whole winter. But 

 Mr Kalm, who wifhes to fupport the torpidity of fwallows du- 

 ring the winter, likewife informs us, that he himfelf met with them 

 at fea, nine hundred and twenty miles from any land *. 



Thefe, and fimilar fads, the Hon. Daines Barrington endeavours 

 to explain, by fuppofmg that birds difcovered in fuch fituations, in- 

 ftead of attempting to crofs large branches of the ocean, have beea 

 forcibly driven from fome coaft by ftorms, and that they would na- 

 turally perch upon the firft veflel which came within their view. 



In Britain, five fpecles of fwallows appear in fummer and difap- 

 pear in winter, i. The houfe-fwallow makes its appearance about 

 twenty days earlier than the martin, or any other of the fwallow 

 tribe. They are often feen about the 13th day of April. They 

 difappear about the end of September. A few days previous to their 

 departure, they aflemble in great flocks on the tops of houfes, 

 churches, and trees, from whence they are fuppofed to take their 

 flight. This unufual and temporary afllbciation of numbers indi- 

 cates the impulfe of forae common inftindt by which each indivi- 

 dual is actuated. The houfe fwallow is eafily diftinguiflied from 



the 



• Voy. torn. I. pag. 24. 



