42 
HIRUNDO AMERICANA. 
blooded animals which are known to become torpid 
during 1 winter, and of which hundreds and thousands 
are found every season, are subject to the same when 
kept in a suitable room for experiment. How is it 
with the swallows in this respect? Much powerful 
testimony might he produced on this point ; the following 
experiments recently made by Mr James Pearson of 
London, and communicated by Sir John Trevelyn, Bart, 
to Mr Bewick, the celebrated engraver in wood, will 
be sufficient for our present purpose, and throw great 
light on this part of the subject.* 
“ Five or six of these birds were taken about the 
latter end of August, 1784, in a bat fowling-net at night. 
They were put separately into small cages, and fed with 
nightingale’s food : in about a week or ten days they 
took food of themselves ; they were then put all together 
into a deep cage, four feet long, with gravel at the 
bottom ; a broad shallow pan with water was placed in 
it, in w'hich they sometimes washed themselves, and 
seemed much strengthened by it. One day Mr Pearson 
observed, that they went into the water with unusual 
eagerness, hurrying 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, going 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 lire, when only two of them recovered, 
and 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 Pearson 
attributed to their perching, and they died about 
Christmas. Thus the first year’s experiment was in 
some measure lost. Not discouraged by the failure of 
this, Mr Pearson determined to make a second trial the 
succeeding year, from a strong desire of being convinced 
* See Bewick’s British Birds , vol. i, p. 254. 
