224 
BARN SWALLOW. 
selves, and seemed much strengthened by it. One day Mr. Pearson 
observed that they went into the water with unusual eagerness, hurry- 
ing 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 coins; 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 ami 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. P. attributed to their perching, and they died about Christmas. 
Thus the first year's experiment was in some measure lost. Not dis- 
couraged by the failure of this, Mr. P. 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. Accordingly the next 
season having taken some more birds he put them into the cage, and in 
■ every respect pursued the same methods as with the last; but to guard 
their feet from the bad effects of the damp and cold he covered the 
perches with flannel, and had the pleasure to observe that the birds 
throve extremely well ; they sung their song during the winter, and soon 
after Christmas began to moult, which they got through without any 
difficulty, and lived three or four years, regularly moulting every year 
at the usual time. On the renewal of their feathers it appeared that 
their tails were forked exactly the same as in those birds Ayhich return 
hither in the spring, and in every respect their appearance was the same. 
These birds, says Mr. Pearson, were exhibited to the Society for Pro- 
moting Natural History, on the fourteenth day of February, 1786, at 
the time they were in a deep moult, during a severe frost, when the 
snow was on the ground. Minutes of this circumstance were entered 
in the books of the society. These birds died at last from neglect, 
during a long illness which Mr. Pearson had : they died in the summer. 
Mr. P. concludes his very interesting account in these words : January 
20th, 1797, I have now in my house, No. 21, Great Newport street, 
Long Acre, four Swallows in moult, in as perfect health as any birds 
ever appeared to be when moulting." 
The Barn SAvallow of the United States has hitherto been considered 
by many writers as the same with the common Chimney Swallow of 
Europe. They differ, however, considerably, in color, as well as in 
habits ; the European species having the belly and vent white, the 
American species those parts of a bright chestnut ; the former building 
in the corners of chimneys, near the top, the latter never in such places ; 
but usually in barns, sheds, and other outhouses, on beams, braces, 
rafters, &c. It is difficult to reconcile these constant differences of 
manners and markings in one and the same bird ; I shall therefore take 
