XXXIII. Of the torpidity of swallows and martins. By James Cornish, Surgeon, at Totnes, Devonshire, in sundry letters to the honourable Daines Barrington, F. R. S. and Dr. Maty, Sec. R. S

Abstract

LETTER I. TO DR. MATY. Sir, As it has long been a desideratum among the naturalists to decide, with certainty, whether swallows and martins remain in a torpid state during the winter, or are birds of passage; I shall make no apology for troubling you with this letter, as it determines one part of the question, as I imagine, beyond doubt. In the beginning of November, being fishing on the banks of the river Dart, which runs at the bottom of a very steep hill, from the side of which project several large rocks, overgrown with ivy and thicket; I was at once surprized with the sight of a great number of martins. Now the season of the year being so advanced, I desisted from my amusement, that I might the more carefully observe the birds, which, I concluded, had been brought out of their winter quarters by the fineness of the afternoon, it being remarkably pleasant and warm for the time of the year; the Sun at that time darting its rays directly against the rocks, just opposite to which I had fixed my station.