THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 85. 



and during: one, which occurred about lo p.m. on the i6th 

 March, a valuable barn and contents were thereby set fire to 

 and destroyed. The illumination from which burning build- 

 ing was seen from the spot where I now write (Mr. Landon's,. 

 of Burford Township). Many vivid electric flashes occurred, 

 attended with hail, but with only a light rainfall. 



The farming operations are now about in as advanced 

 a stage as during average seasons, and there seem to be no 

 unpropitious conditions around us thus far. Yesterday, on- 

 walking through a half-mile of woodland, I heard the metallic 

 notes of the "chewink" in four or five instances, at short in- 

 tervals. Of course their sounds were from four or five indi- 

 vidual birds, indicating that a flock of that species had arrived 

 about there. These are prettily colored and are hardy and 

 strictly svlvan in their habits and associations. 



The golden-shafted (or golden-quilled) woodpeckers were 

 also much in evidence, but none of the small May warblers, 

 of which the redstart fly-catcher (S. ruticilla) is generally the 

 pioneer, seem to have yet arrived. The wild gray rabbits 

 have already given evidence of their reproductive powers, our 

 little terrier dog having killed one two weeks since which, on 

 close examination, proved to be on the eve of giving birth 

 to five young ones, and next day the dog cornered another 

 bunny, evidently near its parturition time, but the dog was 

 driven from his intended victim this time. A day or two 

 previous to this the same dog got barking savagely at the end 

 of a hollow losf in the bush and his would-be, or wished-for, 

 victim was soon discovered and got at by my son. It proved 

 to be a full-grown ferret, which was safely captured (unhurt) 

 and brought home, and is now contentedly inhabiting a large 

 box in our woodshed. The ferret must have escaped from 

 rabbit hunters, but may have travelled a considerable distance 

 from the possession of its former owners. It is rather pretty 

 and is freely handled by my son without showing any symp- 

 toms of viciousness. 



