INTRODUCTION, xvlt 
birds have been found in a torpid date may be inferred from 
the following curious fa6t, which was communicated to us by 
a gentleman who faw the bird, and had the account from the 
perfon who found it. A few years ago, a young Cuckoo 
was found in the thickefl part of a clofe whin bufli ; when ta- 
ken up it prefently difcovered figns of life, but was quite de- 
flitute of feathers ; being kept warm, and carefully fed, it 
grew and recovered its coat of feathers: In the fpring follow- 
ing it made its efcape, and in flying acrofs the river Tyne it 
gave its ufual call. We have obferved a Angle Swallow fo late 
as the latter end of O&ober. Mr White, in his Natural Hif- 
tory of Selborne, mentions having feen a Houfe Martin flying 
about in November, long after the general migration had takqn 
place. Many more instances might be given of fuch late ap- 
pearances, which, added to the well-authenticated accounts of 
Swallows having been actually found in a torpid date, leave us 
no room to doubt, that fuch young birds as have been late 
hatched, and confequently not flrong enough to undertake a 
long voyage to the coad of Africa, are left behind, and re- 
main concealed in hiding places till the return of fpring : On 
the other hand, that actual migrations of the Swallow tribes do 
take place, has been fully proved from a variety of well-atteded 
were generally found entangled amongft reeds and ruflies, by the fides, or 
in the RialloweR parts of the lake^ or rivers where they happened to be 
difcovered, and that having been brought to life fo far as to fly about, 
they all of them died in a few hours after. From the facRs thus Rated 
we would infer, that at the time of the difappearance of Swallows, 
the reedy grounds by the fides of livers and Handing waters are generally 
dry, and that thefe birds, efpecially the later hatchings, which frequent 
fuch places for the fake of food, retire to them at the proper feafon, and 
lodge themfelves among the roots, or in the thickefl; parts of the rank 
grafs which grows there ; that during their Rate of torpidity they are 
liable to be covered with water, from the rains which follow, and are 
fometimes waflied into the deeper parts of the lake or river where they 
have been accidentally taken up; and that probably the tranfient figns 
of life which they have difcovered on fuch occafions, have given rife to a 
variety of vague and improbable accounts of their immerfion, 
b 
