CORNISH AND DEVON ORNITHOLOGY. 349 
were once discovered in a torpid state in the rub¬ 
bish of an old building in his neighbourhood. Other 
narrations of this kind prove that birds of the above 
species have certainly been found in a state of 
torpor in this county. 
A gentleman of my acquaintance who is captain 
in the Navy has favoured me with the following ex¬ 
tract from his log “March 17th, 1809, Latitude 
“ 32° 59" North; Longitude 10° 44" West; Salviges. 
<£ We this morning observed a very large flock of 
“ Swallow’s passing us from the coast of Africa 
“ towards the north-east, and tw r o wLich appeared 
“ more fatigued than the rest hung for some time 
“ about the mainsail.” It would certainly seem by 
the date of this observation, that Sw T allow r s consume 
a longer time in their route hither than is usually 
conceived. Probably they linger much on the 
continent before passing the Channel. 
Naturalists ought in the case of birds w’hich 
build much about houses, and attach themselves 
greatly to the dwellings of man, to consider what 
may naturally be their mode and place of nidifica- 
tion. In the case of the Swallow it is probable that 
in the course of nature it w r ould select hollows and 
recesses of rocks, and at times it has been ascertained 
that they will build in holes of houses and bridges, 
and as if they chose to descend in preference to other 
methods of concealment, they have been known also 
to have their nests down the shafts of w’ells and 
mines. Swifts and Martins both build frequently 
in our ivied sea cliffs and as above intimated w r e 
actually find that a few of our Swallows select the 
same places for nestling. 
Cornish and Devon Ornithology .— Mr. White 
observes that the probable reason w T hy Nightingales 
are not found in Devon and Cornwall is because 
they cross at the narrowest part of the Channel and 
do not stroll so far westward. Analogy does not 
