THE SWALLOW. 45 



Instances of its torpidity during winter. 



alone, in general, washes on the wing, by drop- 

 ping into a pool several times successively. 



It was a long time a matter of doubt, among 

 the most eminent naturalists, whether these birds 

 went into a state of torpor in the winter, or emi- 

 grated into other countries ; in support of the 

 former opinion were the Hon. l>aines Barring 

 ton, and other celebrated writers. Dr. Fry as- 

 serted, that he was told by a fisherman, who was 

 accounted a man of veracity, that being near 

 some rocks on the coast of Cornwall, he saw, at 

 a very low ebb, a black list of something adher- 

 ing to the rock, which, when he came to exa- 

 mine, he found it was a great number of swal- 

 lows and swifts, hanging by each other in the 

 same manner as is frequently observed of bees, 

 which were commonly covered by the sea-wa* 

 ters : they appeared perfectly lifeless, but reco- 

 vered on being held in his hand, or put to the 

 fire. 



This account of the fisherman met with some 

 kind of confirmation by that given by Dr. Colas, 

 to the Royal Society, on the 12th of February, 

 1712-13, who, speaking of their mode of fishing 

 in the northern parts, by breaking holes, and 

 drawing their nets under the ice, said, that he 

 saw sixteen swallows so drawn out of the lake of 

 Samrodt, and about thirty out of the king's great 

 pond in Rosineiien ; and that, at Salebitten, he 

 saw two swallows just come out of the water, that 



