WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY 
of those who have left this sublunary sphere a hundred 
years or more. 
Now, considering how numerous is the swallow tribe in 
Europe — every summer countless thousands swarm in all 
suitable localities, and breed in almost every city, town, 
and village — were it the habit or nature of these birds to 
retire into caves, hollow trees, holes in walls, the roofs of 
buildings, or to sink into ponds, brooks, or rivers, surely 
some of them would be found in the dormant state during 
the winter months. Such a state of things never occurs, 
and if this supposed hibernation took place, specimens 
Avould be forthcoming not only casually, as it has been 
stated, but constantly, for the very reason that the study 
of Natural History of late years has made such rapid 
strides, that thousands of people of an inquiring mind are 
upon the look-out for anything new and interesting, and 
the .sight of a living swalloAV in a torpid state would be 
regarded by these persons as one of the ‘‘ wonders of the 
world,” and attention would be at once called to such an 
unexpected circumstance. The fact that swallows are 
found in large numbers during their visits to this country, 
and constantly near human habitations, feeding upon the 
flies and other ephemera most abundant in the locality, 
would naturally lead us to expect they would hibernate 
(if such was a fact) not far away from the places that 
supplied them with food, and, if such was the case, there 
would be no difficulty in their being discovered. 
Now, putting all other considerations aside in order to 
test the matter fairly, and show that I am inclined to 
give those who believe in the theory of torpid swallows a 
chance of proving their case, I am willing to pay the sum 
of ten pounds for every hibernating or torpid swallow 
brought to me alive, during the months of December, 
January, and February. I must, however, guard myself 
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