N O T E O N T H E
SUPPOSED niBERJiA TION OF SWALLOWS.
O n th i s s u b je c t w e h a v e sa id l i tt l e o r n o th in g in th is w o rk , a s th e s tu d y is fo r th e
c u r io u s . T h e b e s t s um m a ry o f w h a t h a s b e e n w r itte n o n th e su p p o se d h ib e rn a tio n of
Swallows, a n d t h e i r v o lu n t a ry re s id e n c e u n d e r w a te r d u r in g th e w in t e r m o n th s , w ill b e
fo u n d in P ro fe s so r E l l io t t C oues’s w e ll-k n ow n w o rk On th e ‘ B ird s o f th e Colo rad o
V a lle y ,’ a n d th e l i te r a tu r e on th i s s u b je c t is sh ow n b y h im to b e e x te n s iv e . So p o sitiv e
is some o f th e ev id e n c e , a n d so c e r ta in w e re som e w r ite r s o f tlie ir s ta tem e n ts , t h a t th e r e
is l i tt l e w o n d e r t h a t a g r e a t am o u n t o f c o n v ic tio n a c c om p a n ie d th e e a rly s tu d e n ts o f th is
a p p a r e n t m ira c le .
“ T h e y s a y ,” w rite s P ro fe s so r Coues, “ t h a t th e y h a v e s e e n h u n d re d s o f Swallows,
in fu ll flig h t, s u d d e n ly d iv e u n d e r w a te r, a n d disapj^ ea r b e n e a th th e su rf a c e . T h e y
say t h a t th e y h a v e d u g Swallows o u t o f th e m u d , fo u n d th c n r le th a r g ic , a n d s e e n
th em re v iv e a n d fly aw ay . T h e y s a y t l ia t th e y h a v e fo u n d to r p id Swalloa-s in h o le s , in
caves, in v a r io u s o d d n o o k s , som e tim e s s in g ly , som e tim e s c lu s te r e d lik e bee s sw a rm in g ,
a n d h a v e p ic k e d th em u p a p p a re n tly d ea d , a n d h a v e r e a n im a te d th em b y th o w a rm th o f
th e h a n d s . T h e y s a y m u c h moi-e to th e s am e effect, a n d g iv e f u l l p a rtic x ila rs .
“ I h a v e n e v e r seen a n y th in g o f th e so rt, n o r h a v e I e v e r k n ow n o n e wh o h a s seen i t ;
c o n s e q u e n tly I k n ow n o th in g o f th e ease b u t w h a t I h a v e r e a d a b o u t i t. B u t I h a v e no
m e a n s o f r e f u t in g th e ev id e n c e , a n d conscqixently c a n n o t re fu s e to re c o g n iz e i ts v a lid ity .
N o r h a v e I a u g h t to u rg e a g a in s t i t, b e y o n d tlie d e g re e o f in c re d ib ility t l ia t a t ta c h e s to
h ig h ly e x c e p tio n a l a n d im p ro b a b le a lle g a tio n s in g e n e ra l, a n d in p a r ti c u la r th e d iffic u lty
o f u n d e r s ta n d in g th e a lle g e d a b r u p tn e s s o f th e tr a n s itio n from a c tiv ity to to rp o r.”
P ro fe s so r Coues v e ry a p tly d raw s a t t e n t io n to th e f a c t t h a t th i s s to ry o f th e
h ib e rn a tio n o f Swallows is a v e ry a n c ie n t o n e, a n d e x is te d fo r c e n tu rie s b e fo re a n y th in g
VOL. I . k