13 



the nests which he examined. These eggs Avere laid upon scanty beds of fine twites 

 Avithout straw or other lining. Richardson found colonies, numbering thousands, of 

 these birds about the mouth of the Mackenzie Eiver, in lat. 69°, and it is common all 

 along the rivers of Arctic America. A single bird taken by the Point Barrow party, 

 and a few others seen there the last of July and 1st of August, show that this species 

 exteads its range to the extreme northern point of the mainland. It arrives at the 

 Yukon mouth from the 20th to the 25th of May, and leaves that region the last of 

 August. There is no record of the Bank-Swallow's presence on the south-east coast of 

 the Territory, though it is to be expected there owing to its wide distribution. It is 

 unknown on the islands of Bering Sea." 



Dr. Murdoch observes that the Sand-Martin was first seen on migration at Point 

 Barrow on July 29th, and the last on August 10th. Mr. Macfarlane, in his paper on 

 the birds of Arctic America, writes as follows : — " This species is to be met with in 

 considerable numbers during the season of nidificatiou. It builds its nests in lioles in 

 sandy clayey banks on Anderson River. Several birds and eggs were taken, l)ut, not 

 being in much request, their collection was discouraged." 



Mr, Ernest Thompson gives the following note on the species in Manitoba :— " Some- 

 what common summer resident ; local in distribution. Pembina : breeding in colonies 

 and along the line to the Rockies (Coues) ; Winnipeg, summer resident, abundant 

 (Sine) ; Portage la Prairie, tolerably common resident, arrive about the 22nd of May, 

 depart about August 23 (Nash) ; abundant in the north-west (Jlacoioi) ; Portage la 

 Prairie, Assiniboine, near Souris' moutli ; Yellowquills Ferry [Thompson); Shell 

 River, 1885, first seen on April 30, afterwards seen every day, is common all summer, 

 and breeds here {Ccdcutt) ; Qu'Appelle, summer resident, breeds, arrives about May 10 

 {Guernsey). 



" Sash y loin e -pesheu (Martin). — It resorts hither in the beginning of June, harbours 

 about the steep banks of rivers, where it breeds in holes, making a slight nest of straw 

 and feathers, and lays five white eggs. It is the latest breeder of the Hudson's Bay 

 feathered tribes. I have repeatedly found new-laid eggs in the latter end of July, and 

 by the middle of August not one of the Swallow species is to be seen. A few days 

 before their disappearance they collect in numbers to particular ponds nigh Severn 

 Settlement, and fly about along the surface of the water. 



" These birds do not breed in colonies here, but excavate their holes in the bank of 

 the Assiniboine River, singly, and some distance apart. They are late in nesting. On 

 the 21st of July I took out a nest. It was quite ucav, but contained no eggs. I saw the 

 old birds going in and out of the hole the day before, and just previous to my examining 

 it. {Nash.MSSy 



Mr. Thompson lias also very kindly communicated to us tlie accompanying notes on 

 the range of the Sand-Martin throughout Canada : — 



" Distribution in. Ontario : 



" Ijondon and vicinifi/. -Vbuudant aloni;- water, ^sot ncarh so (.'ti'nnion as t'dnini'lv 

 near the city, on account of the constant pcrsccutiuu of boys. Uu Erie coast, 



