Daines Barrington, the correspondent of Gilbert White and of Pennant, was a firm believer in the winter sleep of Swallows with us. He mentions, on the authority of Lord Belhaven, that numbers of Swallows had been found in old dry walls and in sandhills near his lordship's seat in East-Lothian; not once only, but from year to year, and that when they were exposed to the warmth, they revived. He says, however, he cannot determine the particular species.[119]
The same naturalist mentions many other instances in which they have been reported to be found, but he cannot give his personal voucher for the truth of the statements.
"As first in a decayed hollow tree, that was cut down near Dolgelly, in Merionethshire; secondly, in a cliff near Whitby, in Yorkshire, where, in digging out a fox, whole bushels of Swallows were found in a torpid condition; thirdly, the Rev. Mr Conway, of Lychton, Flintshire, a few years ago, between All Saints' and Christmas, on looking down an old lead mine in that county, observed numbers of Swallows clinging to the timbers of the shaft, seemingly asleep, and on flinging some gravel on them they just moved, but never attempted to fly or to change their place."[120]
In some communications to the Zoologist for 1845, by the late Mr F. Holme, of Oxford, I find the following statement:—"On the hybernation of this species (the House-swallow) I was told many years since, by old Wall, then keeper of the Kildare Street Museum, in Dublin, ... that after a heavy snow, in the winter of 1825-26, on going into the mansarde to see whether the snow had melted through, he found four Chimney-swallows perched close together on a cross-beam, with their heads under their wings; but on approaching his hand to them they flew off, and escaped into the open air."[121]
Again, Mr J. B. Ellman of Battel, says, "There is a farmer named Waters, residing at Catsfield, (adjoining parish,) who informs me he has frequently (some years ago) dug Swallows out of banks in winter, while widening the ditches in the brooks," &c.[122]
It is unfortunate that most of these and similar discoveries were "some years ago;" and that, instead of increasing in frequency with the increase of scientific research and communication, they strangely become more rare. The same remark applies to the following statement: it is minute enough, and circumstantially precise; but, unfortunately, it was "fifteen years ago." The communicator is Edward Brown Fitton, Hastings, under date September 8, 1849:—
"A labourer named William Joyce, who is now employed in excavating part of the East Hill for the foundation of a house, told me yesterday, that, in the month of December, about fifteen years ago, while he was working for Mr William Ranger, who had the contract for cutting away the 'White Rock,' which used to stand between this place and St Leonard's, the men found an immense quantity of Swallows in a cleft of the rock. The birds were clinging together in large 'clots,' and appeared to be dead, but were not frozen together, the weather being rather warm for the season, nor were they at all putrid or decayed. The men carried out at least three railway-barrows full of birds, which were buried with the mould and rubbish from the cliff as it was wheeled away. Some people from the town carried away a few of the birds to 'make experiments with,' but Joyce never heard any more of them. He mentioned the names of four persons now in Hastings, who were then his fellow-labourers, and says, that forty or fifty of Mr Ranger's men were on the spot when the birds were found, and can confirm what he says, both as to the finding and the very great quantity of the birds. There are many crevices in the seaward surface of the cliffs about here, which apparently penetrate the cliff for several yards. The birds were found about ten feet from the surface of the rock facing the sea, and not very high up."[123]
There is yet another class of facts to be adduced, which has an important bearing on the subject. At first sight, these facts appear less conclusive than the asserted discoveries of the birds, because less direct; but I am inclined to attach more value to them, because they are attested by so many and so unexceptionable witnesses. I mean the sight of Swallows at large in these islands during the winter months. Let us see some examples.