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the Water, near the Mouth of the Cavern, may, by a fmall Degree of Heat and 
Light, re-animate, as it were, thefe Animals, and bring them from their State of 
Forgetfulnefs, by Degrees, to the Ufe of Life and Motion, till at lad they are em¬ 
boldened to launch forth for another Summer, feek their Prey in the Ocean, and 
propagate their Species on the neighbouring Rocks. ' 
I humbly beg Pardon for troubling the Reader with Conjectures fo new and 
uncommon, but as I cannot folve the Difappearance of thefe Birds any other Way, 
I hope the Hint may put fome Perfon of a more acute Penetration, upon fearching 
out the true Place of their Winter Habitation, or at lead produce fome more probable 
Conjecture. It is the Opinion of feveral very curious and learned Gentlemen, 
that feveral of our Englijh fmall Birds which difappear in the Winter, do not 
pafs the Seas into foreign Countries, but that they hide themfelves it} Holes 
and Caverns, where they lie torpid all the Winter. The Reafon they give for it is, 
that they become fo fat in the Autumn, at the Time of their difappearing, that 
they can make but very fhort Flights: And this Fatnefs is fuppofed to fupply and 
nourifh them during the Winter. But this Opinion, will not, I believe, hold good 
in all fmall Birds, for I take it to be manifed beyond Difpute, that the Swallow-* 
Kind leave this Bland in the Autumn 
Additions 
