I;33 



BARN SWALLOW. 



dreds and thousands are found every season, are subject to the 

 same when kept in a suitable room for experiment. How is 

 it with the swallows in this respect ? Much powerful testi- 

 mony might be produced on this point: the following experi- 

 ments, recently made by Mr James Pearson of London, and 

 communicated by Sir John Trevelyan, Bart., to Mr Bewick, the 

 celebrated engraver in wood, will be sufficient for our present 

 purpose, and throw great light on this part of the subject.* 



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

 of August 1784, in a bat fowling-net at night. They were 

 put separately into small cages, and fed with nightingale's 

 food : in about a week or ten days, they took food of them- 

 selves ; 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, going to the cage again, 

 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 ones were allowed 

 to wash themselves occasionally for a short time only ; but 

 their feet soon after became swelled and inflamed, which Mr 

 Pearson attributed to their perching, and they died about 

 Christmas. Thus the first year's experiment was in some 

 measure lost. Not discouraged by the failure of this, Mr 

 Pearson determined to make a second trial the succeeding 

 year, from a strong desire of being convinced of the truth of 

 their going into a state of torpidity. According!}', the next 

 season, having taken some more birds, he put them into the 

 cage, and in every respect pursued the same methods as with 

 .* See Bewick's British Birds, vol. i. p. 254. 



