' ‘ i
1' ;
AVe h a v e h a d c o n s id e r a b le d iliie u lty iu d is c o v e rin g th e e x a c t r a n g e o f th e p r e s e n t sp e c ie s
il l N o r th A m e r ic a , o n a e c o u n t o f th e w id e e x t e n t o f c o u n try o v e r w h ic h i t a p p e a rs to b e
sp re a d , b u t fr om w h ic h u o o rn ith o lo g is t h a s s e n t re c o rd s . T iiis is e sp e c ia lly th e ca se
w ith th e n o r th e n i r a n g e o f th e b ird , so t h a t a c o n s id e r a b le p o r tio n o f th e n c s tiiig - h a b ita t
of th e sp e c ie s a s g iv e n iu tb e a c c om p a n y in g m a p , is p u r e ly p ro b lem a tic a l. AA'e h a v e
s u bm it t e d o u r m a p o f th e d i s tr ib u tio n o f th o b ird to D r . E llio tt- C oues a n d Air. J . A.
A llen , a n d t h e e a s te r n a n d w e s te rn lim its o f th e b re e d in g -ra n g e a ro g iv e n in e x a c tly
s im ila r lin e s b y b o th th o s e d is tin g u is h e d o rn itlio lo g is ts . T h e c e n t r a l l im it is fix ed b y
Air. A lle n s om ew h a t m o re to th e s o u thw a r d th a n b y D r . C o u es, a n d th e re a s o n is
s t a t e d in a l e t t e r w liic h t b e fo rm e r g e n tlem a n h a s k in d ly s e n t u s ;— “ I n t h e S ta te s e a s t
o f th e A lis s is s ip p i l l iv e r i t b re e d s s o u th n e a rly to th e Oh io l l iv c r , a t le a s t s p a r in g ly ;
am i th e n c e f a r t h e r w e s tw a rd th r o u g h th e g r e a t e r p a r t o f th e S ta te s o f Alis so u ri a u d
K a n s a s , a n d s o u thw a r d from E a s t e r n K a n s a s a c ro s s th e I n d i a n T e r rito ry a n d E a s te rn
T e x a s to th e L ow e r I l io G ra n d e , a n d th e n c e a g a in w e s tw a rd n e a r th o J l c x i c a n B o u n d a ry -
lin e to S o u tlie r n C a lifo rn ia . I t h a s b e e n o b se rv e d in th e b re e d in g -s e a so n a t S t. L o u is ,
AIo., a n d a t G a lv e s to n a n d C o rp u s C h ris ti in T e x a s , a n d is d o u b tle s s m o re o r le s s c om m o n
w h e re th e r e is su ific ie n t tim b e r to fu r n is h n e s tin g -s ite s w e s tw a rd th r o u g h o u t th e iu tc r io r
to t l ie P a c iiic C o a st. I h a v e m a rk e d a lin e o n t t ic m a p to in d ic a te w h a t I b e liev e
m a y b e s a f e ly t a k e n a s i ts a p p r o x im a te s o u th e r n b re e d iiig - liin it. I t is, o f co u rse,
n o t p r e s e n t o v e r la rg e a r e a s o f t h e tre e le s s p la in s o f th e in t e r io r , e x c e p t a s a r a r e
m ig r a n t .”
C om m e n c in g w ith th e r a n g e o f th e AAUite-bellicd Sw allow in th e f a r n o r th , we lin d
th e fo llow in g n o te o f Air. L . AI. T u r n e r ’s ;—
“ O n s e v e ra l o c c a s io n s I o b s e rv e d th i s Sw allow H ittin g a b o u t th e b u ild in g s a t
S t. A lic h a e l’s, A la s k a , d u r in g t h e m o n th o f A u g u s t a n d e a rly in S e p tem b e r . T lie la te n e s s
o f th e se a so n le d m e to c o n c lu d e t h a t th e y w e re b ird s h a v in g r e a re d th e i r y o u n g in th e
i n t e r io r p o rtio n s o f th e c o u n try , a n d w e re n ow o u t h e i r w a y to tlic s o u thw a r d , p re fe r rin g ,
tlir o u g h som e f r e a k o f f a n c y , to r e tu r n b y th e c o a s t r a th e r th a n th e in t e r io r . A t th e
tr a d in g - s t a tio n o n th e N u s h a g a c k l l iv c r I saw a g r e a t m a n y , c e r ta in ly a d o z e n p a irs ,
o f th e s e b ird s , sw iftly s c o u r in g th e ed g e s o f th e riv e r -b a u k s a n d u p p e r d ry l a n d s to Iced
o n tb e m y ria d s o f in s e c ts w liic li a r c to b e fo u n d th e re . T h is b ird w'as n o t o b s e rv e d in
a n y o th e r p o rtio n o f th e c o u n t r y .”
Air. N e ls o n w r ite s :— “ A ltlio u g h h a v in g e v e n a w id e r n o r t l i e r n r a n g e th a n th e B a rn -
Sw a llow , th i s h ird does n o t a c c e p t th e s h e lte r affo rd e d b y m a n , b u t r e ta in s its a n c ie n t
h a b i t o f o c c u p y in g b o le s in b a n k s o r tre e s , a n d , a s a c o n s e q u e n c e , i ts d i s tr ib u tio n a lo n g
th e A r c tic co a s t a n d sh o re s o f B e r in g S e a is lim ite d to th o s e p o rtio n s w h e re tlie p ro p e r
p o s itio n s fo r i ts n e s tin g -s ite s a r e affo rd ed . A t th e Y u k o n d e lta , th e 1 s t o f J u n e , 1879,
a n d a t S t. A lic h a e l’s, o n t h e 2-4th a n d 2 5 tli o f Alay, 1 8 8 0 , th e y w e re com m o n , a n d
a l th o u g h th e y n e s t a t th e fo rm e r p la c e , w h e re th o riv e r -b a u k s a n d d e a d t r e e - t r u n k s
a ffo rd th em p ro p e r s ite s , y e t in th e l a t t e r p la c e th e y a r e u n k n ow n , e.xcept a s v i s ita n ts in
f a ll o r d u r in g th e s p r in g m ig r a tio n , w h e n , a s o n th e d a te s m e n tio n e d , th e y w e re fo u n d
q u a r te r in g o v e r a se rie s o f sm a ll la k e s a n d g ra s sy Hats, h u n t in g in s e c ts a n d e n jo y in g th o
g e n ia l su n s h in e , w h ic h la s ts fo r a s h o rt tim e a t th i s se a so n . T h e y a r e a lso fo u n d as
s tra g g le rs , g e n e ra lly th e y o u n g b ird s o f th e y e a r, fo r a few d a y s d u r in g th e m id d le o f
A u g u s t , w h e n th e y d e p a rt, th u s le a v in g fo r th o s o u th o r its in t e r io r h a u n t s co n s id e ra b ly
e a r lie r th a n th e B a rn -Sw a llow . l l ic lia rd s o n fo u n d th em n e s t in g in h o llow t re e s o n th e
A la e k en z ie R iv e r, in l a t i tu d e Go° n o r th , a n d d u r in g P a r r y ’s firs t v o y a g e a sp e c ie s o f
Sw a llow was se e n in a b o u t l a t i tu d e 73° n o r th , w h ic h w a s p ro b a b ly th i s b ird . I n tlie
s p rin g , d u r in g th e i r s h o r t v is its to S t. A lie h a e l’s, th e y o c c u r d u r in g th e sam e se a so n as
t h e B la c k B r a n t ; a n d w h ile ly in g p ro n e o n m y b a c k u p o n a g ra s s y k n o ll, on th e oiieii
tu n d r a , w a tc h in g fo r Ge ese, I h a v e fr e q u e n t ly am u s e d m y s e lf b y o b s e rv in g th o s ile n t
f l i t tin g to a n d fro o f tlie s e p r e tty c r e a tu r e s a s th e y sk im th e su rf a c e s o f la k e le ts a n d
b o g s , g lid in g h e r e a n d th e r e a s i f f lo a tin g o n th e f a in t jmffs o f a i r w h ic h a p p e a re d to
h o ld tliem p o ised , a n d th e n to w a ft th em a b o u t iu g ra c e fu l c u rv e s . T h e ic y s e a a n d
p a r tly sn ow -c o v e red c o u n try a p p e a re d to offer a v e ry in lio s p ita lile w e lc om e in s p rin g ,
y e t th i s h ird a n d th e B a rn -Sw a llow do n o t s e em to su ffe r th e le a s t in c o n v e n ie n c e from
th e s e u n tow a rd suiTOundiugs. T h is sp e c ie s is u n k n ow n o n th e is la n d s o f Bm-ing S i'a .”
D r . A lu rd o c li d id n o t o b se rv e th e sp e e ie s a t P o in t B a rrow .
C a p ta in B la k is to n firs t m e t w ith a s p e c im e n a t th e fo rk s o f th e S a sk a tc h ew a n ou
th e 1 7 th o f Alay. H e o b s e r v e s:— “ Aly s p e c im e n w a s , I b eliev e , th e firs t re c o rd e d from,
th e in te r io r , a s i t is o n ly m e n tio n e d a s h a v in g b e e n o b s e rv e d in tlic ‘ E a u n a B o re a li-
A m o ric a n a .’ S in c e th a t , h ow e v e r, Air. R o s s h a s o b se rv e d i t o n th e A la e k en z ie , a s fa r
n o r th a s tlie A r c t ic C irc le . I n 1 858 th e AVhitc-bellied Sw a llow w a s firs t s e e n b y m y s e lf
a t E o r t C a rlto n , on th e 2 3 rd o f A p r i l ; b u t I was to ld o f Sw a llow s o n th e 2 1 s t. T h e y
w e re n um e ro u s e a rly in A la y ; a n d o n th e 1 7 th 1 fo u n d a g ro a t n um b e r o f th em c o n g
re g a te d a b o u t a sm a ll la k e o r p o n d e n t i r e ly su iT o u iid e d by old w o o d s a n d w illow s, w itli
its ed g e m a rg in e d w ith lo n g g ra s s . A f te r a tim e th e w h o le c o n g r e g a tio n a lig h te d ou
a c o u p le o f d e a d w illow -b u sh e s a b o u t e ig h t f e e t from tlie g ro u n d . I fo u n d th e s e
b ird s c om m o n o n th e S a sk a tc h ew a n d u r in g th e w h o le s um m e r, a u d a t th e e a s te rn
b a s e o f th e R o c k y A lo u n ta in s , n e a r th e in t e r n a tio n a l b o u n d a r y , o n th e 7 th o f
S e p tem b e r .”
E o r th e fo llow in g n o te s o n th e spec ie s in C a n a d a w e a r e in d e b te d to o u r e x c e lle n t
c o r re sp o n d e n t, Air. E r n e s t T h om p so n , wh o h a s b e e n c o lle c tin g o b s e rv a tio n s from v a r io u s
fr ie n d s fo r som e y e a rs p a s t.
“ D is tr ib u tio n in Ontario ;—
“ L o n d o n a n d viciriUy. C om m o n , b re e d in g ch ie fly in th e c o u n try . T e n y e a rs
ag o , u o t o n ly th is , h u t B a rn - a n d E a v e -Sw u llow s (a s w e ll a s th e C h im n e y -
Sw ift) u n d A la r tin s we re v e ry a b u n d a n t in L o n d o n , s c o u r in g o u r m a in
b u s in e s s s tr e e ts a l l d a y fo r flies. B u t th e E n g lis h S p a rrow n ow in v a d e s
th e i r h om e s in e a rly s p rin g , a u d we h a v e b u t v e r y few in th e c ity , th o u g li