728 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, 



concluded that these birds reach open spots in that district before 

 there is much clear ground showing through the snow. {J.Hughes- 

 Samuel.) Formerly abundant, but the disastrous " freeze " which 

 extinguished the orange industry in northern Florida in 1894-95^ 

 nearly annihilated these birds also, and in the first nine months 

 of 1895, I S3W "'u* fo^"^ specimens ; since then they have been 

 increasing rapidly and are now familiar objects once more; they 

 sometimes build in boxes and crevices around buildings, and a 

 few sets of white eggs have been taken; one nest was found in a 

 swallow's hole in the river bank in May, 1899, by W. A. Balkwill. 

 (W. E. Saunders.) A common summer resident at Guelph, Ont.; 

 arrives about March loth, and leaves about October 20th. {A. B. 

 Klugh.) Very abundant at Penetanguishene, Ont., in the spring 

 of 1903. {A. F. Young.) The U. S. National Museum collection 

 contains a specimen taken at Moose Factory, James Bay in the 

 summer of 1881, by Walton Haydon. {E.A. Preble.) 



A rare summer resident in Manitoba; they breed about the large 

 towns; since I wrote as above it is gratifying to riote that this 

 species instead of being very rare has become quite common 

 (1892) in the country along the Assiniboine, and nearly every 

 grove of oak of any extent is found to have a pair making their 

 home in it along with the purple martin. {Thompson- Seton.) A 

 rare and breeding summer resident at Aweme, Manitoba. {Nor- 

 man Criddle.) 



Breeding Notes. — Nest built in a hole in a tree or fence 

 post, composed of vegetable matter very loosely put together, 

 lined with grass and a little hair; eggs four to five, pale blue; not 

 marked. {G. R. White.) This species breeds around Ottawa in 

 April, May, June and July, in a hole in a tree, a stump, a fence, or 

 a telegraph post; its nest is made of grass and feathers and contains 

 from three to six eggs. {Gartwau.) 



This species nests at Scotch Lake, N.B., in May and June ; the 

 nest is built in hollow fence poles and this year (1902) one pair 

 built in a box put up for them in a grove in a pasture ; five eggs 

 were laid and incubated in 18 days. The young feathered out in 

 14 days and were in the nest 20 days after hatching; 30 days later 

 they had four more eggs and the female was sitting. {W. H. 

 Moore.) 



