[ 288 3 
to build in Such Small Spots of land, where there arc 
dill fewer houfes ? 
The next fa£t I have happened to meet with of 
a bird’s being feen at a conliderable didance from 
the fhore, is in Mr. Forfter’s lately publifhed 
transition of Kalm’s account of N. America*. 
We are there informed that a bird (which Kalm 
calls a fwallow) was feen near the fhip on the 2d 
®f September, and, as he fuppafes, 20 degrees from 
the continent of America *f\ 
It appears however, by what he before dates in his 
journal, that the (hip was not above 5 degrees from 
the ifland of Sable. 
Belides, if it is contended that this was an Euro- 
pean fwallow on its paffage acrofs the Atlantic on 
the 2d of September, it is too early even for a fwift, 
to have been on its migration, which difappears 
with us Sooner than the three other fpecies of Euro- 
pean Swallows £. 
Only two more indances have occurred of birds 
being Seen in open Sea that have been defcribed 
* Vol. I. p. 24. 
f It may not be improper here to obTerve, that in all inftances 
of birds being feen at fea any great diftance from the coaft, it is 
not improbable that they may have before fettled on fome other 
veflel, or perhaps on a piece of floating wreck. 
By accidents of this fort, even butterflies have fometimes been 
caught by the failors at 40 leagues diftance from any land. See 
Monf. I’Abbte Courte de la Blanchadiere’s Voyage to Brazil, Paris, 
j 759, 2imo. p. 169. 
$ The bird mentioned by Kalm was probably an American 
fwallow, forced out to fea by fome accidental ftorm : there are 
feveral fpe- ies of them and they feem to bear a general affinity to 
4 hofe of Europe. 
with 
