78 



SWALLOW. 



reeds in the autumn to those situations : Linnaeus^ 

 Klein, Pontoppidan, Barrington, and others, were 

 of the same opinion, as far as regards the Chimney 

 Swallow, but differed in respect to the Martins ; 

 Klein imagining that the Sand Martins remained 

 torpid in their holes ; Barrington that the Martins 

 remained concealed in old towers, and other se- 

 cluded retreats. 



The appearance of Swallows late in the autumn, 

 as well as the accidental circumstance of their 

 being found in a state of torpidity, has no doubt 

 given rise to both the above opinions. It is most 

 probable that those birds mentioned as having 

 been seen under such circumstances were in too 

 weak a state to encounter the fatigues of a long 

 journey, at the time when the general migration 

 took place. It is most probably the case, that 

 many of them may get into holes of rocks, and 

 other recesses of a similar nature, to shelter them- 

 selves from the inclemency of the season, and may 

 have sunk into a state of torpidity from cold and 

 hunger ; and that others may have crept amongst 

 the weeds at the sides of ponds and rivers, and 

 have been overwhelmed by the increase of the 

 water occasioned by the heavy rains that occur in 

 the autumn, and only having been immersed a 

 short time, may have been restored to animation 

 when brought into the sunshine, or before a fire. 



There are several instances on record of their 

 having been seen very late in the autumn, as men- 

 tioned by Montagu, Bewick, Forster, and others: 

 the former relates, that he has observed them as 



