After reading my Dear Linnaeus’s Letter of 23d: 9br: 1762[1] How can I, any longer Doubt, that Swallows live under Water all Winter.[2]
But what would confirm that surpriseing Phenomenon, If my Dear Friend, could any ways contrive, to examine Anatomically, what wonderfull Aparatus there Is, at that Period of Time at their going under Water, [a]in the Structure of the Heart, of the Swallows, to Quallifie It, to undergo a Change of Elements, so contrary to Nature, for Animals that are breed & Live on Earth and Air, to continue to Live and Breath, so many Months under Water.
If this désirable Discovery, is impractible to be performed by your Self: I wish you would recommend, nay Enjoyn, some of your Numerous Disciples, that may have Dwelling, not too remote from these Lakes, to apply themselves, diligently, to catch these Birds, & examine Them, as Near the Time, they absconde themselves, as Possible.
I really Think, it is an Inquiry, Worthy the Dignity, of the Great Philosopher, Linnaeus, and should be His Ambition to give Satisfaction, to so many Great & Learned Men, that doubt, others absolutely Deny the posability of Swallows Liveing so long under Water. By showing & explaining the Reason of It, anatomically.
For undobtedly the all Wise & Powerfull Creator, hath Occasionally (for that End & Purpose of Liveing in Water) provided, or substituted, some Vessells, or Organs, near the Heart, to Supply a sufficieant means for respiration, & prevent the Birds from drowning. If this can be happily found Out, it will Establish the Veracity, of your Assertion and the more likely to be meet with, in Birds that have laid some Time in the Lakes, It may facilitate this Inquirey, if rewards was offered to the Fishermen, when they took up any Swallows in the Water or from under the Ice, to bring them to you as your Disciples.
I have another Material Reason, to recommend to You for Procurering Swallows in the Winter, from Lakes, at any Reasonable Expence, that the particular Species, may be certainly determined, that Lives under Water, for if, one Species, only, takes residence in that Element.
The Hypotheses of another Species, migrateing to distant Countries, will not then be Doubted.
For I am as certain that I Twice saw them takeing Their Flight Theither as you are Certain, you Saw Them taken from under the Water & Revive & Live.
It is a remark that Strikes Mee, When I consider, that all the Rivers, and Lakes, of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, are not without their Fishermen and yett neither Tradition, nor any Relation, nor yett any of the Books I have read, of these Kingdoms, have the least Intimation, or Record, that Swallows have been found, and taken up, from under the Water, in the Winter Months. Can you my Dear Friend, account for This or Show Mee, that your Swallows, are of a Different Nature from Ours.
I have proposed more than Once Two Experiments to be made, in hopes, of Elucidateing the Subject in dispute, possibly, some interresting Inferrences, may be drawn from Them. But I am not so happy to be regarded, or favowr’d, with any Account of them, which I shall beg Leave again to repeat, at the Time the Swallows are nearest absconding, they resort in vast Numbers, to the Reeds, & Bushes, on the Sides of Rivers & Lakes, so may be Easely taken in the Night, with a nett to make the Tryal.
Experiment First, take 5 or 6 Swallows & Tie a Weight to their Leggs & Sink them under Water, if they Survive after Laying there in, Seven Days, who will doubt their Liveing in the Lakes.
But it may be Objected, this is forceing them against Nature, to Obviate This. Make Experiment Second, Take a Large Deep Wide Tubb put a foot Deep of Sand, at the Bottome, then fill it with Water, to within a foot of the Brim, then place a thin broad Board, on the Water, on this Board, putt Some Swallows, then Cover the Tub with a Nett. if they Immerge under Water, & Live, this will Establish my Dear Linnaeus assertion.
You are my Dear Friend, the Great & Good Man, who Your Sagacious King, and Queen, delight to Honour Your Long Life, spent in the Most arduos Studies, Your unweared applycation, to Improve Mankind, as well as, Your Own Country, very Deservedly, Intitle You to the High Honours so Lately conferred On You.
May You Live Long to Enjoye Them
with Health of Body & Tranquility of
Mind, is the Ardent Sincere Wish of Your Affectionate Friend
PS
It is now Two Years Since my Good Friend told Mee I Should receive His Systa: Natura[3] what a tedious while is it for a Philosopher to wait & yett I have hopes my Longing Eyes Shall See It.
Pray When You See My Dear Friends Doctr Backe & Docr Bierkin my Love and Respects to them.[4]
As soon as the Great Tall Sibiria Larkspur has done flowering, I then cutt it down close to the Ground. It Soon Shoots up New Branches, and is now again in flower -- this I do every Year. Thus it flowers Twice in a year.
Almost every Day Rain Since the Midle of July. The Spring & Summer very Dry, to the Middle of July. Very Great plenty of Grass, & all Sorts of Corn, but the Weather unkindly, for the Harvest.
My Great Magnolia hath been finely in Flower this Year What is remarkable of the Species of the Magnolia that do not Flower all at one & the Same Time Like Other Trees But I continue flowering for Two or Three Months.
Herr Collinson har uti Engelska Wetenskaps Academiens Handlingar ingifvit en afhandling angående Swalornes flyttning,[5] samt låfvat at vidare samla Anmärkningar i det ämnet och meddela dem med Wetskps. Academien hvilket gjör honom så angelägen at få uplysning uti hvad han nämner i sitt bref.
NOTES
[1] This letter has not come down to us.
[2] It was in 1758 that Collinson first attempted to refute the theory, held by Linnaeus and others, that swallows spent the winter under the water. This letter from Collinson is his reply to a letter sent by Linnaeus after much delay, in which the latter maintained his theory. On Linnaeus’s opinion in this matter, see the introduction and commentaries by Lönnberg in “Linnés avhandling Migrationes avium 1757”, 24, 34, 44, 51-53, 55, 57, and Lindroth, “Naturvetenskaperna och kulturkampen under frihetstiden”, 187-188. In a copy of Syst. nat., “Regnum animale”, belonging to the Linnean Society, the statement that swallows hibernate is, however, erased by Linnaeus’s own hand. On Collinson, Linnaeus and the migration of swallows, see Fox, Dr. John Fothergill and his friends, 175-176, and Brett-James, The Life of Peter Collinson, 187-189.
[3] Collinson refers presumably to Syst. nat., ed. 10, which was published in 1758-1759.
[4] Abraham Bäck and Pehr af Bjerkén had met with Collinson in London during their visits to London, see Rydberg, Svenska studieresor till England under frihetstiden, 233-235, 254-255; on Collinson and Bäck, another Swedish correspondent of his, see also Grape, Ihreska handskriftssamlingen, I, 458-459, 569-572.
[5] Collinson, “A letter to the honourable J. Th. Klein, secretary to the city of Dantzick, from Mr. Peter Collinson, F.R.S. concerning the migration of swallows”, Philosophical transactions, 459-464.
[6] This addition was the only message which Daniel Solander sent to Linnaeus between October 1762 and December 1768. It was neither published in Smith, A selection, nor in Solander, Collected correspondence. About Solander’s relations with Linnaeus during these years, which he to a great extent spent in the company of Collinson, see Uggla, “Daniel Solander och Linné”, 41-47.