

120 THE NATURAL HISTORY 
March i769. ha the Hon: Disites Barrington lie a | 
the authority of Lord Belhaven, that numbers of Swallow 
have been found in old dry walls, and fand hills, near his feat 
ain Eaft Lothian, in Scotland, not only once, but year alter” 
year; and that when expofed to the warmth of fire, they te 
vived, A ee 
Some years ago, itis faid, they were feenin a torpid fate, 
on the fall of a great fragment of the chalky cliffs of Suffex; 
and in a decayed hollow tree, cut down near Delgail i! | 
Merionethfhire, in Wales. 
Ina cliff near Whitby, in Yorkfhire, when digging ne ; 
fox, whole buthels of torpid fwallows were found. 
Mr. Conway, of Syckton, in Flinthire, in Wales, afferts, 
that a few years ago, looking down an old lead mine, in that 



















county, he obferved numbers of Swallows clinging to the 
timbers, feemingly afleep ; that on throwing fome gravel upon 
them, they juft moved, but did not attempt to fly; thishap 
pened ctvces the latter end of O@ober and Chriftmas. 7 
On the 29d of Ofober, 1767, a Martin was feen in South 
wark, flying in and out of a neft, and on the egth of fe 
ber, four or five Swallows were obferved to hover about, and 
: fettle on the county hofpital at Oxford; and once neat 
Chrifimas, a few were noticed on the moulding of a window 
of Merton College. 4 
’ The advocates for this opinion, fupport . their theory by 
the analogy of Bats, of Marmots, of Dormice, and Bear 
who vafs the winter in atorpidflate ; and urge, that the pro 
digious exertions of this little bird, who, during the fummef, 
has been fo much on the wing, may require the refrefhment 
“ a winter’s fleep. On the other hand, it is objefted, that 
admitting thefe fa&s to be true, they may have been accidet 
tal circumftances. The birds fo found, might have been @} 
Jat hatch that were left behind, not being fufficiently 7 
yan’ 
