WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY 



of those who have left this sublunary sphere a hundred 

 years or more, 



Now, considering how numerous is the swallow tribe in, 

 Europe — every summer countless thousands swarm in all 

 suitable localities, and breed in almost every city, town, 

 and village — were it the habit or nature of these birds to 

 retire into caves, hollow trees, holes in walls, the roofs of 

 buildings, or to sink into ponds, brooks, or rivers, surely 

 some of them would be found in the dormant state during 

 the winter months. Such a state of things never occurs, 

 and if this supposed hibernation took place, specimens 

 would be forthcoming not only casually, as it has been 

 stated, but constantly, for the very reason that the study 

 of Natural History of late years has made such rapid 

 strides, that thousands of people of an inquiring mind are 

 upon the look-out for anjrfching new and interesting, and 

 the sight of a living swallow in a torpid state would be 

 regarded by these persons as one of the " wonders of the 

 world," and attention would be at once called to such an 

 unexpected circumstance. The fact that swallows are 

 found in large numbers during their visits to this country, 

 and constantly near human habitations, feeding upon the 

 flies and other ephemera most abundant in the locality, 

 would naturally lead us to expect they would hibernate 

 (if such was a fact) not far away from the places that 

 supplied them with food, and, if such was the case, there 

 would be no difficulty in their being discovered. 



Now, putting all other considerations aside in order to 

 test the matter fairly, and show that I am inclined to 

 give those who believe in the theory of torpid swallows a 

 chance of proving their case, I am willing to pay the sum 

 of ten pounds for every hibernating or torpid swallow 

 brought to me alive, during the months of December, 

 January, and February. I must, however, guard myself 



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