244 CLIMATOLOGY. 



May 1. Snow melting rapidly. Ground getting barer. 5th. 

 Wild geese and ducks passing to the northward. 

 Hawks still arriving. 10th. Every fine day brings 

 an accession to the small bush birds, fly-catchers, 

 &c. Food for these is still scarce, and they ap- 

 proach the houses in quest of Dipterce, which rise 

 from the manure and rich earth round the place. 

 Snow-birds have left us, and ermines and hares 

 (Lepus americamis) are becoming altogether brown. 

 The ice is now shingly and dangerous, and strong 

 currents and rapids are open. Wavies (Anser hy- 

 perboreus) and brents (Anser bernicla) passing to- 

 wards James's Bay in large flocks. No weather 

 stops them after this time. 

 12. The northern diver (Colymbus glacialis) and several 

 black ducks {Anas nigra, fusca, and perspicillata) 

 are still scarce, but are sometimes seen. The buds 

 of the balsam poplar, aspen, and of various willows, 

 swell. On the latter may be found the earliest 

 Tenthredines, the larva? being nursed in the tender 

 bud. Two species of butterfly ( Vanessa and 

 Argynnis) sport over the ice and snow, when these 

 are not gone. 

 15. The larger rivers break up. (The Saskatchewan 

 opens about twenty days earlier at Carlton House). 

 Fish ascend the small streams to spawn. The pike 

 (Esox lucius) and dore (Luciopercd) spawn. 

 Sucking-carp (Catastomi) soon follow them. Trout 

 take bait greedily. The cliff-swallow (Hirundo 

 fulva, Vieillot) is seen. (On May 28th, 1849, 

 Mr. Rae found this swallow on the banks of the 

 Coppermine, having constructed its clustered nest 

 against the cliffs at the mouth of Kendall River, 

 lat. 67° N., but not yet laid its eggs.) Swamps 

 and stagnant pools are thawed. Frogs begin to 

 croak, and moschetoes to bite. 



