close by it a large loose nest of straw and feathers, well lined with the latter (there was 

 no mud), and partly arched over with straw. In this nest the two birds used to sit, side 

 by side, the whole day long. As soon as the warm weather returned they left their warm 

 retreat, and I never saw them use it afterwards. It was evidently built as a temporary 

 resort during the cold weather, and it was the only one I saw ; the other birds sat 

 luuldled together on the rafters. The favourite place for building was under the eaves 

 of two outhouses wliicii were only a few feet apart and the most noisy place in the 

 redoubt, the constant resort of Avomen, children, and dogs. They often build in old 

 deserted native huts, and at Port Clarence, in lat. 65° 20' N., the furthest north that they 

 appear to go, they were breeding in a cliff at some little distance from the sea. Most of 

 the nests had eggs in on the 19th of June, when my observations on tliem ended. They 

 are said by the Russians not to leave until the middle of September." 

 Mr. Ernest Thompson sends us the following note : — 



" Distribniion in Ontario : 



" I^ondon and vicinity. Always and everywhere abundant {3IS. of W. E. Saunders). 



"Hyde Park. Summer resident [John A. Ilorden). 



'■'■ Listowel. Common {W. L. Kelts). 



" Ilatchlij, Brant Co., Out. Occurs ( W. Yates). 



" Hamilton. Xoted there by myself; given by T. Mcllwraith, in his book on ' Birds 

 of Ontario ' (Hamilton, 1886), as follows : — ' They arrive in Ontario early in 

 May and are generally distribvited over the country during the summer ; but 

 about the end of August they begin to move towards the south and soon have 

 all disappeared.' 



" Toronto. Noted by myself as follows : — ' Common summer resident, breeding about 

 barns and outhouses. In 1885 it first appeared April 30. On Sept. 12, while 

 on Toronto Island, two miles south of Toronto in the lake, I saw a small flock 

 migrating southward ; two, apparently young ones, alighted on a building, and 

 one, an old one I suppose, set about catching flies and fed them.' In 1887, 

 Aug. 11, I find note : ' Barn-Swallows passing southward in flocks.' In 1888, 

 April 20: 'Barn-Swallow arrived.' 



" Sjyrlngfield, on the Credit Biver about 18 miles due loest of Toronto. In this 

 vicinity and southward towards the lake the species is common. Here on the 

 Lake shore is Lome Park, where most of my specimens were taken. 



" Ellora. Summer visitant, abundant {Hon. C. Clarke). 



"Bruce Co., Central region about Mildmay. Summer resident, common {TF. A. 



Sclioenau) . 

 " Lindsay. During my residence there ten years ago this sj^ecies was abundant in 

 the barns. It was protected by the farmers. We often found the Cliff-Swallow 

 and the White-breasted Swallow nesting in the same barns with this species. 

 During a heavy thundershower I have seen the whole colony of a barn fly forth 

 in a flock and perch on a bare tree, there to sit in the drenching rain until the 



