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m
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Th e y o u n g b ird described is from G ua tem a la , and shows th a t, as in II. rustica, th e p lum age o f th e
y ou n g g e ts comple te ly ble a ched before i t p u ts o n th e fu ll sp rin g dress in wliich i t re tu rn s to
Its sum m e r home. Tlic rema ins o f blackish m a rk in g s o u th e lower th ro a t indic a te a n approach
to a complete hand.
T h e re would appe a r to be some considerable difference in th e d ep th o f th e rufous co lo u rin g of th e u n d e r
surfa c e , some specimens b e ing so rich ly coloured th a t th ey c an scarcely be distin g u ish ed from
H . Ujtleri, h u t, a s a ru le , th e ru fo u s u u d e r surfa c e ha s a more vinous tin g e in th e la tte r species.
Hab. E a s te rn S ib e ria iu summe r, visitin g th e B u rm e se countries iu w inte r. N e a rly th e whole o f
N o r th Ame ric a in summe r, win te rin g in S o u th America.
T iiE p re s e n t spec ie s is d is tr ib u te d o v e r n e a r ly th e w h o le o f N o r th A m e r ic a , a n d is an
o c c a s io n a l v is ito r in S o u th G r e e n la n d , a c c o rd in g to J l r . l l a g e r u p . P ro fe s so r R e in h a r d t
g iv e s th e fo llow in g n o te :— “ N e a rly t h i r ty y e a rs a g o a s p e c im e n w a s o b ta in e d a t E is-
k enm s se t h y th e l a t e b o ta n is t D r . A’a b l, a n d s e n t to th e R o y a l M u s e um . A se c o n d was
s h o t a t N e n o r t a l ik a n d p ro c u re d fo r t h e R o y a l M u s e um in 185G. As f a r a s I ¿im
in fo rm e d , th e s e tw o s p e c im e n s a r e th e o n ly o n e s e v e r m e t w i th in G r e e n la n d .”
I n L a b r a d o r, J l r . L . M . T u r n e r sa y s t h a t i t b re e d s a t H am i l to n In l e t . I t a p p a r e n tly
e x te n d s a c ro s s th e n o r t l i e r n p a r t o f A m e r ic a , a s i t is sa id b y S ir J o h n R ic h a r d so n to
b re e d Avithin t h e A r c tic C irc le in M a y , a n d to le a v e e a rly in A u g u s t. II cA v r ite s :—
“ W h e n E o r t E r a n k l in AA-as e r e c te d , o n th e sh o re s o f G r e a t B e a r L a k e , in t h e a u tu m n of
1 8 2 5 , Ave fo u n d m a n y o f i t s n e s ts in tlie ru in s o f a h o u s e t h a t h a d b e e n a b a n d o n e d fo r
m o re th a n t e n y e a rs . ToAvards t h e e n d o f th e folloAving M a y th e b ird s th em s e lv e s m a d e
t l ie i r a p p e a ra n c e , a n d im m e d ia te ly com m e n c e d a surA-ey o f th e d iffe re n t b u i ld in g s ; b u t
th e s to re h o u s e s h a v in g b e e n re p a ire d , Avitbout re fe r e n c e to th e p o o r SAA’alloAvs, th e y fo u n d
n o e n tr a n c e , a n d a f te r l in g e r in g a b o u t th e i r old h a u n t s fo r a Aveek, th e y ilcAV off in s e a rc h
o f o th e r q u a r te rs . A t E o r t CliepeAA'yau, la t. 57°, th e Barn-SwalloAvs h a v e re g u la rly ,
a b o u t th e 1 5 tli o f M a y , fo r a n um b e r o f y e a rs , ta k e n p o s se s s io n o f th e i r n e s ts o f m u d and
straAV, c o n s tru c te d Avitbin a n o u th o u s e , a n d w e o b se rv e d n um b e rs o f th em in th e sam e
m o n th a t E o r t Good H o p e (in la t. 6 7 i° ), th e m o s t n o r th e r ly p o s t in A m e r ic a .” I t
h a s b e e u fo u n d a t F o r t R a e , o n t h e G r e a t S la v e L a k e , b u t is sa id b y M r. R o s s
to b e r a r e th e r e . J l r . J I a c E a r l a n e d id n o t m e e t w ith t h e sp e c ie s in th e M a c k e n z ie
R iv e r , n o r d o cs i t se em to re a c h P o in t B a rrow , a s i t is n o t in c lu d e d in th e l i s t o f b ird s
o b se rv e d th e r e b y D r . M u rd o c h .
M r. 'T u rn e r A v r i t c s “ T h e d i s tr ib u tio n o f tb e B a rn -Sw a llow in A la s k a is Avell
m a d e o u t. I t is a r e g u la r A'isitor to a ll l i tto r a l A la sk a , a s f a r a lo n g th e n o r tlie rn co a st
a s X Jn a la k h lit in la t . 65° N ., Avhile in th e in t e r io r i t is fo u n d a ll a lo n g th e im m e n se
Y u k o n R iv e r. A lo n g th e p e n in s u la o f A la s k a i t is s p a r in g ly fo u n d . I t a p p e a rs in
s c a n ty n um b e r s a t I l iu l iu k , o n U u a la s k a Is la n d , a n d b re e d s th e r e . D u r in g th e s p rin g
o f 1 8 7 9 n o t o n e Avas se e n a t th is pla c e , n e ith e r Avcre th e r e a n y se e n d u r in g th e s um m e r
o r f a ll. I t Avas a n e x c e p tio n a lly b o is te ro u s y e a r, a n d a su c c e ssio n o f g a le a f te r g a le
/ e f
p o s s ib ly d e te rre d th e u s u a lly v e n tu re s om e b i r d from c om in g th e re . T h is is th e o n ly
sp e c ie s o f S avqU oav fo u n d o n a n y o f th e A l e u tia n c h a in p ro p e r a n d is n o t k n ow n AA’C s t
o f th e is la n d o f U n a la s k a . 'VYhilc a t A tk h a I s l a n d in 1 8 7 9 , a n d a t A t lu I s l a n d in
1 8 8 0 a n d 1881, I m a d e sp e c ia l in q u i r y re g a rd in g th i s b ird a n d o u ly th o s e p e rso n s wh o
h a d v is ite d H n a la s h k a Is l a n d a n d h a d s e e n tlie h i r d th e r e k n ew o f its e x is te n c e . T h e
ab se n c e o f k n ow le d g e o f t liis b ird in b o th o f th e s e p la c e s shoAVs co n c lu siv e ly t h a t n e ith e r
th o B a rn -Sw a llow n o r i ts c o n g e n e rs A’is it th e is la n d s in q u e s tio n . A t N u s lia g a k
(B ris to l B a y ) th e sp e c ie s is fo u n d in co n s id e ra b le n um b e rs , a n d b re e d s th e re , a s I saAV
a n e s t in J u n e 1 8 7 8 .” J l r . ToAvnsend say s t h a t i t AA’a s a c om m o n b ird o u th e K ow a k
R i\'c r in N o r th e rn A la sk a , b r e e d in g th e re .
J l r . N e ls o n ’s n o te is a s fo llows :— “ (E s q u im a u s T u - la -M y h -ifn d -g u k ) T h is b ird is
th e m o s t com m o n a n d w id e ly d i s tr ib u te d o f th e SwalloAvs th r o u g h o u t th e n o r th . I n
A la sk a i t is fo u u d a lo n g th e s o u th -e a s te rn co a s t, e x te n d in g th e n c e o v e r n e a rly th e e n tir e
A le u tia n c h a in , a n d n o r th a lo n g th e co a s t o f th e m a in la n d to K o tz e b u e S o u n d , a n d
th e n c e e a s t th r o u g h o u t th e T e r r ito ry AvhercA’e r s u ita b le s itu a tio n s o c c u r. I t a r riv e s a t
S t. J t ic h a e ls fr om J l a y 17 to 26, a u d le a v e s tow a rd th e e n d o f A u g u s t. A t P o r t C la re n c e ,
i n B e r in g S tr a its , D r . A d am s fo u n d th em b r e e d in g in tb e s um m e r o f 1851. A t
U n a la s k a , J u n o 2 a n d 3, 1 8 7 7 , I saw a n um b e r o f th e s e SAvalloAVs s k im m in g a b o u t a u d
o v e r th o v illa g e . D a li fo u n d th em a t v a r io u s p o in ts o n th e A le u tia n Is la n d s , a u d th e y
n e s t a t U n a la s k a . T h e l a t t e r re p o rts s e e in g a SAvalloAv a t A tk h a I s la n d , a t th e e x trem e
Avestern p a r t o f th e c h a in , AA'hich Avas u n d o u b te d ly th i s sp ec ie s. A b o u t th o m id d le o f
J l a y th e y a r riv e a t N u la to , Avhore th e y b re ed , a s th e y do a lso a t E o r t Y u k o n a n d th e
o th e r f u r - tr a d in g s ta tio n s a lo n g th e Y u k o n .”
T h e l a te D r . A d am s g av e th e folloAviug n o te in a p a p e r o n th e b ird s o f J l i c h a l a s k i:—
“ E a r ly o n th e m o rn in g o f th e 3 1 s t o f J l a y , 1 8 5 1 , e ig h t o r t e n o f th e s e b ird s a r r iv e d a t
J l ic h a l a s k i . I h a d b e e n Avandcring a b o u t th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d th e Avhole o f t h e p re v io u s
d ay, a n d did n o t m e e t Avith o n e o f th em , so t h a t th e y m u s t h a v e jo u rn e y e d iu a flock.
T h e y im m e d ia te ly s e t to Avork a b o u t r e p a ir in g th e i r old n e s ts , w h ic h Avere p la c e d in a n
o u th o u s e , u n d e r th e e a v e s o f th e b u ild in g s , a n d in som e o f th e lo o p h o les fo r m u s k e try
in th e b lo ck -h o u se s . W h e n th e y fin d a h o riz o n ta l su rf a c e o n w h ic h to b u ild , th e n e s t is
v e ry s lig h t a u d shalloAV ; b u t th o s e u n d e r th e c a v e s a r c la rg e a n d w e ll-b u ilt, v e ry m u c h
r e s em b lin g th o s e o f U . u rb ica , b u t o p en a t tb e to p . T lie re Avcre so m a n y o ld u e s ts t h a t
v e ry fcAv o f th em b u i l t ncAv o n e s , m e re ly r e p a ir in g a n d rc liiiin g th e o ld o n e s . T h e n o s t
is b u i l t e n tir e ly o f m u d lin e d w i th a th i c k b e d o f f e a th e r s . O n e p a i r t h a t h a d b e e n f r e q
u e n tly d is tu rb e d Avliilst b u ild in g in a n e x p o s e d s itu a tio n le f t t l ie i r u n fin ish e d n e s t a n d
b u i l t a n o th e r in th e ro o t o f a tu f t o f lo n g g ra s s aa'I i IcIi h u n g doAvn from t h e in s id e o f th e
ro o f o f a n o u th o u s e . T h is o n e th e y co n c e a le d so a r tf u lly , h y s u s p e n d in g lo n g straAvs from
i ts o u te r su rfa c e , t h a t i t Avas o n ly b y w a tc h in g th e b ird s t h a t I d is c o v e re d i t. A t th e
t im e o f th e a r r iv a l o f th e s e b ird s th e Avcathcr w a s fin e a n d w a rm , a n d tb e i r n um b e rs Avere
soon g r e a tly in c r e a s e d ; b u t in a fcAv d a y s th e w e a th e r b e c am e co ld a n d Avet, a n d a l l th e
SAA'alloAVS le f t off b u ild in g . O n e p a i r l e f t t lic ir h a lf-fin ish e d n e s t, a n d b u i l t u p o n a r a f t e r