w a s k n ow n a b o u t tb e m ig r a tio n o f th e b i r d s ; c o n s e q u e n tly i t w a s n e c e s s a ry to fin d some
e x p la n a tio n o f t h e i r d is a p p e a ra n c e d u r in g th e w in t e r m o n th s . AVe w ill a d d , how e v e r,
th a t we s h a ll r e q u ir e f u r th e r e v id e n c e o f th e h ib e rn a tio n o f Swallows o n th e n e x t
o cc asio n t h a t a to rp id sp e c im e n is p ro d u c e d f r om th e m u d o r s u c h - lik e p la c e in w in te r.
AVe s h a ll w a n t to see th e m o u lte d fe a th e r s o f tlie b ird in i ts p la c e o f r e t r e a t ; fo r th i s l i tt l e
f a c t seems to h a v e b e e n u n lm o uT i to th e b e lie v e rs in th e p h e n om e n o n , th a t th e Sica llows
m o u lt d u i'in g th e w in te r tno n th s. V e ry few b ird s , w e fa n c y , c o u ld s u p p o rt im m e rs io n in
w a te r, to rp id ity , a n d a c om p le te m o u lt o f b o d y -f e a th e rs , q u ills , a n d ta il- f e a th e r s a t th e
sam e t im e ; a n d , fo r o u r ow n p a r t, we do n o t b e lie v e in th e h ib e rn a tio n o f Swallows (we
s a y n o tb in g a b o u t “ Sw ifts ,” w h ic h a r e “ Sw allow s ” s till to th e u n in s tr u c t e d ) , b u t p re f e r
to tb in k o f th em a s w in te r in g in a w a rm e r c lim a te th a n E n g la n d , w h e re in s e c t fo o d is
p ro c u ra b le , a n d w h e re th e y h a v e a c h a n c e o f su rv iv in g th e t r y in g p ro c e s s o f th e i r m o u lt.
I t is, h ow e v e r, to le r a b ly c e r t a in t h a t som e sp e c ie s o f Sw ifts , a n d ev e n P u r p l e M a r tin s ,
do h i b e r n a t e ; a n d i t is b u t f a i r to re p ro d u c e a l e t t e r w h ic h w a s s e n t b y C o u n t S a lv ad o ri
to ‘ N a t u r e ’ a s l a te a s 1 8 8 0 , a n d is p u b lish e d in t h a t jo u r n a l {vol. x l. p . 2 2 3 ) :—
“ P ro f. C a rlo S p cg a z z in i, a n I t a l i a n b o ta n is t, a n d q u ite a tru s tw o r th y o b se rv e r, liv in g a t
L a P la t a , th e n ew tow n in th e A r g e n t in e R e p u b lic , w r ite s fr om th e r e t l ie fo llow in g
a c c o u n t to m y f r ie n d th e M a r q u is G ia c om o D o ria , o f G e n o a :—
‘“ T h e b i r d k n ow n lie re h y th e n am e o f Go lo n d r in a , a n d w h ic h I th in k is
dom e stica , is s u b je c t to h ib e rn a tio n . L a s t y e a r, w h ile th e z in c ro o f o f a sm a ll h o u s e was
b e in g t a k e n u p in t h e m o n th o f A u g u s t , j u s t in th e m id d le o f o u r w in te r, I fo u n d
u n d e r n e a th a b o u t a h u n d r e d M a r tin s , a il a c c um u la te d o n e o v e r th e o th e r a u d le th a r g ic ,
b u t in g ood h e a lth , so th a t , e x p o se d to t h e su n , th e y aw o k e a n d flew aw a y v e r y b ris k ly .
T h is y e a r a g a in , h a v in g se e n som e h o le s o n a h a n 'a n c a , a s te e p b a n k o v e r th e P la t a , I
b e g a n to d ig a t th em , h o p in g to fin d som e B a ts ; b u t th e r e I fo u n d s e v e ra l h u n d r e d s o f
th e M a r tin s o f tb e s am e k in d a s ab o v e m e n tio n e d , c lu s te r e d a n d in a s t a t e o f le th a r g y .
I s su c h a th in g k n ow n to n a tu r a l is t s ? ’ ”
K ami l v H I R U N 1 ) 1 N I D .'f * : .