know that the Gracula Quifcula has ever been feen immediately about Philadelphia. It is commonly feen on or 
near the fea-coaft and not often twenty miles diftant from it. It loves the neighbourhood of the fea, and of 
brlckilh water. The Gracula which I mention, in the Tables, is v^y common about Philadelphia, where it 
affociates with the Red-Wing Oriole, or Oriolus phoeniceus, and with Crows (Corvus Coronel, committing 
Meat depredations on the mays in the fields; and in the Southern States, on the rice that is ftacked in the barn 
yards. Builds on trees, pretty high up, and feems, for this purpofe, to give a preference to the evergreens, fuch 
L tall Pine-trees, &c. Our Gracula is either the Gracula Barrita, Boat-Tail-Grakle, or very nearly allied to it. 
* Fringilla pecoris. This bird certainly belongs to the fame genus as the Oriolus phoeniceus, whether that be 
Emberiza or Fringilla. It follows cows and horfes, pulling afunder their excrements, in order to get at the feeds. 
It alights on their backs, eating flies and other infeds from them. In feme parts of Pennfylvania, it is belt known 
by the name of Cow-Bird. It is the Sturnus ftercorarius of Bartram. Trave/s. 
* MotacillaSialis. This is one of our earliefl: finging birds. Its note is highly agreeable. It is the Tfchi-hoa-pe-ke-lis 
of the Delawares. SeeP. li* Sed:. HI. 
* Scolopax Gallinago. Scolopax americana rufa of Bartram. Travels. It is the Me-me-u of the Delaware-Indians. 
* Charadrius vociferus. This fpecles is obferved to increafe in proportion as the country becomes cleared. Is very 
feldom feen remote from the habitations of man. 
* Scolopax minor. Scolopax minor arvenfis of Bartram. Travels. of the Delaware-Indians. 
* Hirundo purpurea. Pons-pau-cloo-moefe, or “ the bird that never refts,” of the Mohegan-Indians. I am of opi¬ 
nion that this and the three other fpecies of Swallow, which I have mentioned, are migratory birds. I am not 
ignomnt, that an oppofite opinion is gaining ground among us. See Dr. Belknap’s Hijlory of New Hampjh.re, 
Vol. III. p. 174. My friend, Mr. William Bartram, allures me, “ that he has feen, in the fpring, large flocks of 
all our Swallows, upon their palfage from the fouth, and in the autumn, on their return fouthward from Penn- 
fylvania, through Carolina, to Florida, where, however, neither of them winter; but continue farmer on fouth- 
ward.” MS. penes me. I cannot but confider the teftimony of this gentleman, in matters of this kind, as of 
high value. Indeed, all my enquiries convince me, that our fwallows are migratory birds. lam, however, far 
from denying, that fwallows have occaftonally been found in the hollows of decayed trees, in different parts of our 
country, during that very feafon, when it^fuppofed thefe birds are in a more foutherii climate. I will not even 
deny, that they have been found under the mud of rivers, &c. Thefe, however, muff be confidered as extraordinary 
inftances, which very rarely occur. They only ferve to Ihow the accommodating powers of birds, which fome- 
times continue in a country the whole year through, and in other times migrate from thefe countries. It is not 
difficult to account for fome of the inftances of Swallows being found in trees, &c. In thefe inftances, I prefume, 
the birds have been compelled to take up their habitations here, after their return from the fouth, having been 
furprized by very cold weather. The Swallows are, certainly, very impatient of cold.f No wonder, therefore, 
that in a climate fo variable as that of Pennfylvania, thefe birds fliould fometimes retire into trees, &c. to feek flielter. 
I have obferved, that feveral weeks after the firft appearance of the Swallows in the fpring, the coming on of a 
cold day, has occafioned in them great diftrefs. The following fad will ftrikingly illuftrate what I am faying. 
The beginning of the month of April, 1773, was unufually warm. In the vicinity of Philadelphia, the clover, 
in fome of the fields, was five or fix inches high. The Martins (Flirundo purpurea) were feen about the city: at 
this time, there came on fuddenly a very fevere fpell of cold weather. It deftroyed many of thefe birds, feveral 
of which were feen^ to drop down, benumbed or dead, among the clover. 
If any fpecies of our fwallows continues with us the whole year, I think it moft likely to be the Hirundo-, 
or Little Bank-Martin. I have been informed, that in feveral Inftances, this fpecies has been found in a torpid 
t My very refpedbable and learned friend Dr. John Walker, Profelfor of Natural Hiftory In the Univerfity of Edinburgh, ufed to inform his clafs, that he “ Once 
knew a cold night (in Scotland) to overtake the Martins (Hirundo urbica), the Swifts (Hirundo Apus), and the Swallows (Hirundo ruftica), which benumbed them 
to fuch a degree, that they feemed dead, but when they were brought into a warm room, they recovered, and after the fun rofe, they all took to the wing. Not one 
of them was deftroyed by the cold.” 
