226 
BIRDS. 
by any one except Mr. Bartlett, who has in 
some winters noticed a few on the shores at Tor- 
bay. Mr. Couch affirms that they appear in 
Cornwall only in autumn and winter ! Hoopoes 
have been known to arrive here soon enough to 
build and rear a brood. With regard to Swallows , 
White’s suspicion of their torpidity in his county 
may receive partial verification probably with us, 
for it seems strange that those few which remain 
with us so late in the year should appear abroad 
only on certain fine days, and again retire, unless 
they really possessed the power of remaining in a 
dormant state in some warm hybernacula. This 
remark however I am aware does not belong ex¬ 
clusively to the southern parts of England, though 
I incline to think from observations made several 
years on their late appearances here in November, 
that this wintering may occur more commonly in 
our county than in others. I am informed by a 
gentleman near here, that he has noticed Swallows 
in the depth of win ter, and he suspects that some pass 
their intervals of quiescence in the wooden canopy 
of a large bell connected with his house. Martins 
are said to appear yearly at Plympton between 
10th and 13th November. It is not in my power 
to say whether any Wheatears stay with us in 
winter, but it has been so reported, and White speaks 
positively on the point in respect of Hampshire; a 
few winter in Cornwall. The Stormy petrel breeds 
on the Cornish coast, and is not known to be resident 
the year through I believe in any other part of 
Britain, Zetland and other Scottish isles probably 
excepted. 
I am informed by Mr. Bartlett that he has no¬ 
ticed the Babillard in the South of Devon as late 
as November. 
