. Studies in bird migration . eason, their very sweetsong being finished, descend, and peacefully, after thebeginning of spring, fly out thence and reseek their oldnests or make new ones with their natural if that lump be drawn out by ignorant young men(for old and expert fishermen put it back) and carried toa warm place, the Swallows, loosened by the access ofheat, begin to fly about, but live only a short time,giving proof that premature birth is to be guardedagainst. It happens also in spring-time that the birds 8 STUDIES IN BIRD-MIGRATION returning to freedom, and occupying-
. Studies in bird migration . eason, their very sweetsong being finished, descend, and peacefully, after thebeginning of spring, fly out thence and reseek their oldnests or make new ones with their natural if that lump be drawn out by ignorant young men(for old and expert fishermen put it back) and carried toa warm place, the Swallows, loosened by the access ofheat, begin to fly about, but live only a short time,giving proof that premature birth is to be guardedagainst. It happens also in spring-time that the birds 8 STUDIES IN BIRD-MIGRATION returning to freedom, and occupying- their old nests orbuilding new ones, being overtaken by rough weatherand a heavy fall of snow, all alike die, so that none areseen the whole summer about the houses or river banks,except a very few which have risen from the deeperwaters, or journeying from elsewhere, are seen, whenwinter is wholly dispelled in May, to arrive, about toreproduce offspring for the good of nature. The picture here given is from a photograph taken. direct from Glaus Magnuss work, for the loan of whichI was indebted to the late Professor Newton, Itrepresents two fishermen standing on the edge of theice and drawing towards them a net containing amixed catch of Swallows and fishes. This ridiculous story was accepted by a numberof distinguished naturalists, including Linnaeus : andJohn Reinhold Forster, in his edition of Kalms Travelsinto North America (p. 140), informs us that he canreckon himself among the eye-witnesses of this para- SOME AND ANTIQUATED VIEWS 9 doxon of natural history ; he proceeds to relate how, in1735, he saw Swallows taken from the Vistula in (1769-1832) was also a believer in the theory ofsubmergence, for he says, the Martin becomes torpidduring winter ; and that it passes the cold season underwater at the bottom of marshes appears to be bodies such as the Royal Society of London andthe French Academy have discussed this theory andpublished
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