C 277 ] 



rigging of the admiral's (hip, though they migth in- 

 deed refl themfelves ? 



Sir Charles, however, exprefly informs us, that 

 he was in the channel, and within foundings : thefe 

 birds, therefore (like Bellon's quails) were only pafTmg 

 probably from headland to headland; and being forced 

 out by a ftrong wind, were obliged to fettle upon 

 the firft fhip they faw, or otherwife mult have drop- 

 ped into the fea, which I make no doubt hap- 

 pens to many unfortunate birds under the fame cir- 

 cumftances. 



As the birds which thus fettled upon Sir Charles 

 Wager's rigging were fwallows, it very naturally 

 brings me now to confider the celebrated obfervation 

 of Monf. Adanfon, under all its circumftances, as it 

 hath been fo much relied upon, and by naturalifts of 

 fo great eminence. 



Monf. Adanfon is a very ingenious writer, and the 

 publick is much indebted to him for many of the re- 

 marks which he made whilfl he refided in Senegal. 



I may, however, I think, prefume to fay, that he 

 had not before his voyage made ornithology his parti- 

 cular ftudy j proofs of which are not wanting in other 

 parts of his work, which do not relate to fwallows. 



For example, he fuppofes, that the Canary birds 

 which are bred in Europe are white, and that they 

 become fo by our climate's being more cold than 

 that of Africa. 



«' J'ai remarque que le ferin qui devient tout blanc 

 " en France, eft a TenerifTe d'un gris prefque aufli 

 " fonce que ceiui de la linotte ; ce changement de 

 " couleur provient vraifemblablerrtent de la froidure 

 " de notre climat *." 



* Voyage au Senegal, p. 13, 



Mr. 



