BARN SWALLOW 



37 



ter of this country, where, in their proper season, Swallows swarm 

 around us. Is it therefore in the least probable that we should, only 

 once or twice in an age, have no other evidence than one or two 

 solitary and very suspicious reports of a Mr. Somebody having 

 made a discovery of this kind? If caves were their places of win- 

 ter retreat, perhaps no country on earth could supply them with a 

 greater choice. I have myself explored many of these in various 

 parts of the United States both in winter and in spring, particularly 

 in that singular tract of country in Kentucky, called the Barrens^ 

 where some of these subterraneous caverns are several miles in 

 length, lofty and capacious, and pass under a large and deep river 

 — have conversed with the saltpetre workers by whom they are te- 

 nanted; but never heard or met with one instance of a Swallow 

 having been found there in winter. These people treated such re- 

 ports with ridicule. 



It is to be regretted that a greater number of experiments 

 have not been made, by keeping live Swallows through the winter, 

 to convince these believers in the torpidity of birds, of their mis- 

 take. That class of cold-blooded animals which are known to be- 

 come torpid during winter, and of which hundreds 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 testimony might be produced on this point; 

 the following experiments recently made by Mr. James Pearson of 

 London, and communicated by Sir John Trevelyn, 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 sepa- 

 rately into small cages, and fed with nightingale's food: in about a 

 week or ten days they took food of themselves ; they were then put 



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

 VOL. v. K 



