Geese which occur in California. 97 
1884, and were last seen at Chico by Mr. Proud on April 27 of the 
same year. They sometimes enter California from the east slope 
in Nevada and leave in the same direction, probably stopping 
awhile about the numerous lakes of Nevada and northeastern Cali- 
fornia. 
Mr. Evermann says it is an abundant winter resident of Ventura 
County. It was abundant in the northern part of San Diego County 
in the winters of 1884 and 1885, and Mr. Morgan told me. he saw 
a great many of these and other geese at Ersenada, and on the head 
of the Gulf of California in the winter of 1883-84, which is prob- 
ably about as far south as it goes on this coast. 
Biur Goose. Chen cerulescens. Two of these geese were shot, 
one day, about February 1, of this year, by two hunters who were - 
hunting together near Stockton. Mr. M. J. Shaw of the game mar- 
ket kept one of them on exhibition as long as he could, and then 
saved the head and neck, wings and legs. These fragments were 
all that I saw of the bird, and these I sent to Mr. Ridgway for iden- 
tification. He said it was a true Chen cerulescens—a juvenile. 
There was no white or light shade on the chin, nor on any part 
that I saw, and several persons who saw this goose before it was 
dismembered told me it was entirely blue except the quills. These — 
were brownish-black. The blue was nearly that of the sand-hill 
crane. The wing measured about 15, tarsus 3, middle toe and claw 
very nearly 3, the naked culmen 2 inches. 
I think the blue goose has not heretofore been reported in Cal- 
ifornia, though my belief has been for nearly ten years that I have 
occasionally seen the plumage which is attributed to the adult, a 
few of which I shot, besides some I had seen in market, but the 
‘plumage of the uniform blue bird described above is new to me, — 
as it was to many sportsmen and others who saw Mr. Shaw's spec- | 
imen. 
Ross’s Snow Goose. Chen rossii. This diminutive white 
goose can readily be separated from any other form, being much 
smaller than any and having a warty appearance at the base of the 
pill. They weigh each about two and one-half pounds, have light 3 
colored flesh and are very palatable. 
They breed in Arctic America, arrive in California with, or about 
~ the same time other white geese arrive, and probably go as far south ~ 
