BARN SWALLOW. 
43 
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 
which 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 promoting 
Natural History, on the 14th 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 Pearson concludes his very interesting 
account in these words : — 20th January, 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 swallow 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 colour, 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 
