OF THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 323 



Within the Arctic circle the woods are silent during the bright 

 light of noonday, but towards midnight when the sun travels 

 near the horizon, and the shades of the forest are lengthened, 

 the concert commences, and continues till 6 or 7 in the morning. 

 Nests have been found as high as the 54th parallel of latitude 

 about the beginning of June. The snow even then partially 

 covers the ground, but there are in these high latitudes abund- 

 ance of berries of vaccinium ugliginosum and vites idea, arhutus 

 alpina, empetsnm nigrum, and of some other plants, which, after 

 having been frozen up all winter, are exposed by the first melt- 

 ing of the snow, full of juice and in high flavor, thus forming a 

 natural cache for the supply of the birds on their arrival, soop 

 after which their insect food becomes abundant." 



In Southern Ontario large numbers are seen congregating 

 together feeding on the berries of the mountain ash, poke weed, 

 red cedar, etc. If the weather is mild they remain till Novem- 

 ber, but usually we have a cold blast from the north in October, 

 which hustles them all off to their winter quarters in the south. 



Genus SIALIA Swainson. 



302. SIALIA SIALIS (Linn.). 766. 



Bluebird. 



Male, uniform sky-blue above, reddish-brown below, belly white. Female, 

 duller. Young, spotted. 



Hab. Eastern United States to the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains, 

 north to Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia, south in winter from the 

 Middle States to the Gulf States and Cuba. Bermudas resident. 



Nest, in natural or artificial holes in trees, stubs or posts, or in bird 

 boxes ; composed of miscellaneous material, loosely put together. 



Eggs, 4 to 6 ; pale blue, unmarked. 



In former 3'^ears the Bluebirds were among our most abundant 

 and familiar birds, raising their young near our dwellings, and 

 returning year after year to occupy the boxes put up for their 

 accommodation. Since the advent of the English Sparrow, they 

 have been gradually decreasing in numbers, and are now seldom 

 seen near their old haunts, from which they have been driven by 



