36 NATURAL HISTORY 
year, and from fo midland a county, attempt a voyage to Goree 
or Senegal, almoft as far as the equator^? 
I acquiefce entirely in your opinion — that, though moft of the 
fwallow kind may migrate, yet that fome do ftay behind and 
hide with us during the winter. 
As to the fliort-winged foft-billed birds, which come trooping 
in fuch numbers in the fpring, I am at a lofs even what to fufpeft 
about them. I watched them narrowly this year, and faw them 
abound till about Michaelmas, when they appeared no longer. 
Subfift they cannot openly among us, and yet elude the eyes of 
the inquifitive : an-d, as to their hiding, no man pretends to have 
found any of them in a torpid ftate in the winter. But with regard 
to their migration, what difficulties attend that fuppofition ! that 
fuch feeble bad fliers (who the fummer long never flit but from 
hedge to hedge) flioukl be able to traverfe vaft feas and continents 
in order to enjoy milder feafons amidft the regions oi Africa! 
LETTER XIIL 
TO THE SAME. 
SIR, Seleorne, Jan. as, 1768^. 
As in one of your former letters you exprefled the more fatisfac- 
tion from my correfpondence on account of my living in the moft 
foutherly county ; fo now I may return the compliment, and ex- 
ped; to have my curiofity gratified by your living much more to 
the North. 
« Sec Adanfoni Voyage to Senegal, 
For 
