of the District oj Montreal, 289 



has been amply taken advantage of. Swamps can scarcely be said 

 to enter into the character of the district, although there are 

 several and rather extensive ones on the south of the St. Law- 

 rence. The streams are, generally speaking, small, and diminish 

 severally considerably in size towards the fall of the year, by which 

 means a muddy alkivium presents itself, which furnishes a place of 

 resort for the Grallatores. Dependant as this circumstance is, how- 

 ever, on the general temperature of the summer months, supplies 

 of food are often rendered scarce, and consequently the visits of 

 this class of birds are not made so frequently, nor in such consid- 

 erable numbers as in the district of Quebec, where the recess of 

 the tide presents much more favourable scenes for their opera- 

 tions. On the whole, therefore, it may be remarked, that the 

 Grallatores in the district of Montreal are not constant visitors, a 

 few stragglers only being killed from time to time, which appear 

 to have dropped en passant^ for the purpose of rest or refreshment. 

 The district on the contrary, is abundantly supplied with theAcci- 

 pitres, Passarinse and Scansoria), the second class being especi- 

 ally numerous, diversifying the landscape by their varied richness 

 of plumage, while they equally invite attention by their mel- 

 ody. 



As connected with this subject, the author deems it proper to 

 annex the following tables of mean temperature, compiled for the 

 city of Montreal, which from its almost central situation in the 

 district, may be taken as a standard for the whole. They are all 

 deduced from observations of 15 years. 



Mean Temperature of the Months. 



January 14.10 



February 19.36 



March 29.46 



April 43.24 



May 58.54 



June 68.04 



July Y2.09 



August '69.58 



September 59.90 



October 47.56 



November 34.87 



December 18.56 



Mean temperature of the city of Montreal, deduced from observations of 

 15 years e 44.60. 



The following abbreviations are used opposite the species de- 

 scribed : — 



V. S. P. — Vidi specimen preparatum. 



V. S. P. et M. — Vidi specimen preparatum et mortuum. 



D. C. — Descriptio compilata. 



V. S. P. et y. — Yidi specimen preparatum et vivum. 



Can. Nat. 4 Vol. VI. No. 4. 



