BIEDS OF NOKTHEEN CANADA 417 



thick bed of feathers. Eggs, four or five in number, white 

 and spotted with reddish-brown. 



There are but five specimens and two sets of four and 

 five eggs respectively in the Ottawa Musevim ! 



614. Teee Swallow — Iridoprocne hicolor (Viell). 



Early in the month of July, 1889, we observed several 

 birds of this species building their nests under the eaves 

 of the officers' dwelling-house at Eort St. James, Stuart's 

 Lake. On the I7th we examined one of them and therein 

 found four fresh eggs. A neighbouring nest, placed on the 

 inner frame of the verandah in front of the residence, con- 

 tained four eggs, with their contents considerably developed. 

 As a lining the first mentioned nest had but a few withered 

 leaves under the eggs, while the other was warmly provided 

 with a lot of feathers. They were otherwise similar in con- 

 struction to that of the barn swallow. We left with the 

 parents one and two eggs respectively, for incubating pur- 

 poses, while the remaining nests were not interfered with, 

 and the young came forth in due course. Early in June, 

 1891, Mr. McKay, from " numbers laying in one place," 

 secured two sets of eggs taken from nests found in holes 

 made in decaying trees near Pelican ]!>f arrows, Cumberland. 

 From three to four eggs are usually laid by the female birds. 

 Specimens of both were duly forwarded to Washington. Both 

 Kichardson and Eoss mention this species, but we never met 

 with any, either at Fort Good Hope or the Anderson. The 

 eggs are pure white. Nelson states that the tree has even 

 a wider range than the barn swallow, though not breeding so 

 far to the north, owing to its nesting in holes, in banks, and 

 in trees. 



There are thirteen specimens and but two sets of eggs 

 in the Ottawa Museum — one of six taken at Wolfville, IST.S., 

 5th June, 1894, and one set of three found in Ottawa by 

 Dr. James Fletcher! 



