vot. u.] Geese which occur in California. IOI 
My earliest Stockton date of its coming south is October 12; 
my latest spring record is April 25. 
Mr. Morgan told me it arrived at Ensenada Oct. 12, 1884, and 
that he afterward saw it on the Blythe estate on the Gulf of Califor- 
nia. I have seen it in San Diego County, and believe it goes as 
far south as Hutchins’s goose. 
The notes of minima are much higher in pitch than are those of 
hutchinsii. 1 noticed this the first time I ever saw them, in the year 
1856, and upon asking my experienced hunting companion the name 
of a flock of minima, as it darted and tumbled in great disorder 
into the water, uttering the oft repeated notes which Mr. Nelson 
calls ‘‘luk-luk,’’ he said it was the little squeaking goose, a name 
which I tried to give it in Partial List of Birds of Central California, 
but by an error the name was printed squawking goose. This 
goose is apparently generally known and distinguished from its larger 
cousins by the sportsmen of the State. Cackling goose is an ap- 
propriate name for it. I think it a good species. It breeds in 
Alaska. 
BLAcK BRANT. Branta nigricans. This is a coast species, and 
I doubt very much if it ever goes inland. It breeds on the arctic 
shores of Alaska, and scatters along the coast to about three hun- 
dred miles south of San Diego in winter. 
I have not seen any of the species between San Francisco and 
the vicinity of San Diego, but a short distance north of San Fran- 
cisco, at Bodega Bay, Mr. Palmer found it in abundance in March, 
1885. 
It leaves Alaska and comes south between the middle and last of 
September, according to Mr. Nelson, and remained at San Quin- 
tin Bay to May 9 or 10 in 1881, though it dissapeared from San 
Diego Bay April 15, 1884, and April 7, 1885, its departure having 
probably been hastened by the persecutions of the hunters. 
It was until recently abundant in San Diego Bay in winter. Its 
flesh has an oily or fishy taste. 
Emperor Goosr. Philacte canagica. Collected at Humboldt 
Bay in the winter of 1884 by Mr. Fiebig. This is the only known 
occurrence of this northern species in California. : 
