timej” and while the bird is uttering the found of whip-poor-will, or weecolis, they will repeat the word Hacki- 
heek^'^ which is “ plant the ground.” 
§. XXIV. 
I am of opinion, that all the birds which are mentioned in the tables, with the exception of the Alauda magna 
(Meadow-Lark), Tetrao virginianus (Partridge), and a very few others, are migratory birds, or birds of palTage. But 
I do not expert that this opinion will be univerfally received by naturalifts. In almofl every country in which natu¬ 
ral hiftory has been cultivated, the places of retreat of birds at the times of their difappearance has been a matter 
of difpute. The queftion concerning the Swallows is not yet fettled ; and in this country the notion which I deem 
an erroneous one with refpeft to thefe birds is gaining ground.* The fportfmen find ftill greater difficulty in difco- 
vering the place of retreat of their favourite “ Rail,” the Rallus virginianus ;t whilfl fome of the Indians affiire us, 
that the Vultur aura (Turkey-Buzzard) paffes its winters in the hollows of trees, &c. 
§. XXV. 
Some ingenious gentlemen, with whom I have converfed on the fubjed, are even of opinion, that but a very 
few of our birds are, flridly fpeaking, birds of paffage. They imagine, that fome of thefe birds, at the coming 
on of cold weather, pafs into a torpid ftate, whilfl others merely take ffielter from the inclemency of the wea¬ 
ther, in clofe thickets, in the hollows of trees, rocks, &c. without becoming torpid. This opinion may be fup- 
portcd by plaufible arguments. Some fpecies of Swallows have occafionally been found in a torpid date. In mild 
winters, feveral of thofe birds which are thought to be commonly migratory, are feen among us; and even after 
the difappearance of fome fpecies, fuch as the Motacilla Sialis, or Blue-Bird, one or two warm days in the winter 
time will bring them back again. This notion is likewife favoured by the torpid (late into which fo many of our ani¬ 
mals pafs, and continue, during the winter feafon ; fuch as different fpecies of Lizards, Tortoifes, Frogs, Serpents, 
and Infers. Nor is it merely the animals with cold blood (Sanguis frigidus) that become torpid. Some of our 
quadrupeds fall into a fimilar ftate. Such are the Ardlomys Monax, or Maryland Marmot (befl known in the United- 
States by the names of Ground-Hog, and Wood-chuck), and fome of the fmaller animals of the order Glires, par¬ 
ticularly fome fpecies of Dipus, or Jerboa. Other fpecies, again, that do not become torpid, keep themfelves con¬ 
fined in clofe quarters, during the greater part of the winter-feafon. Such are fome of the fpecies of Squirrel, the 
Didelphis Opoffum (Opoffum), and others. 
§. XXVI. 
Thefe various facls, it muff be confeffed, feem to give fome degree of plaufibility to the notion, that our birds 
hicmatc^l or take up their winter-quarters among us, and that they do not migrate to a diftance. Still, however, I 
cannot but adopt the latter notion. The complete difclofure of the fadl, that the ferpents, frogs, fome quadrupeds, &c. 
become torpid, is rather an argument againft the torpid ftate of our birds. Why fiiould it be fo much more difficult to 
difeover the latter than the former in a torpid ftate, if they adually went into this ftate ? Ten thoufand ferpents may 
be found in the torpid ftate as readily as a fingle Swallow, or Humming-Bird. § It is recorded in fome part of Mr. Bof, 
well’s ponderous Life of the late Dr. Samuel Johnfon, that in a converfation which took place on the fubjedl of the an, 
nual difappearance of Woodcocks, in England, the doflor obferved, that the difeovery of a few of thefe birds, in the 
fummer time, only proved that the fpecies does, in general, emigrate from the country. Exceptioprobat regulamf faid 
the literary Hercules. I muft confefs, that to me this feems good fenfe. In like manner, the difeovery of a few Swallows, 
a few Turkey-Buzzards, a fingle Humming-Bird, or a few birds of any other fpecies, deemed migratory, in a tor- 
* See Appendix I. P. l6. f See Appendix I. P. 17. 
t Nuturalifls, if not minute critics, will perhaps exctife the ufe of this word, which is at lead: fignificant, and is certainly not far-forced: a word derived from th« 
J.atin verb Hiemo or Hyemo, which is ufed by Cxfar and by Cicero, and which was defended by Erafinus, in an epiftle to Toiihall. 
§ See Appendix I. P. iS, 
