_March 9th_, 1772.
Dear Sir,--As a gentleman and myself were walking on the 4th of last
November, round the sea-banks at Newhaven, near the mouth of the Lewes
river, in pursuit of natural knowledge, we were surprised to see three
house-swallows gliding very swiftly by us. That morning was rather
chilly, with the wind at north-west; but the tenor of the weather for
some time before had been delicate, and the noons remarkably warm. From
this incident, and from repeated accounts which I meet with, I am more
and more induced to believe that many of the swallow kind do not depart
from this island, but lay themselves up in holes and caverns, and do,
insect-like and bat-like, come forth at mild times, and then retire again
to their _latebroe_. Nor make I the least doubt but that, if I lived at
Newhaven, Seaford, Brighthelmstone, or any of those towns near the chalk
cliffs of the Sussex coast, by proper observations, I should see swallows
stirring at periods of the winter, when the noons were soft and inviting,
and the sun warm and invigorating. And I am the more of this opinion
from what I have remarked during some of our late springs, that though
some swallows did make their appearance about the usual time, viz., the
13th or 14th April, yet meeting with a harsh reception, and blustering
cold north-east winds, they immediately withdrew, absconding for several
days, till the weather gave them better encouragement.