470 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1895. 



Genus CHEN Boie. 



31. Chen hyperborean Snow Goose. 



A Snow Goose, presumably the lesser variety, was seen during 



the winter of 1898-94, in Haywood County, by Mr. B. C. Miles. 



It remained there all winter in the company of a flock of Canada 



Geese. 



Genus BEANTA Scopoli. 



32. Branta canadensis (L. ). Canada Goose. 



Soon after my arrival at Samburg I was surprised to hear the 

 honking of a flock of wild geese. The noise continuing I was im- 

 pressed by its resemblance to that made by the Canada Goose, and 

 asked my landlord what it meant, as it seemed to proceed from the 

 mainland instead of the lake. He told me it came from a flock of 

 Canada Geese, which had been raised some years previously from 

 a set of eggs taken on the lake. 1 A few days later I came across 

 the birds in a little meadow behind the village and found them to 

 be exactly as represented. Long familiarity with man had com- 

 pletely reversed their natures. So far from showing alarm at my 

 approach they greeted me hoisterously, and, led by a large gander, 

 advanced to meet me with outstretched necks and a chorus of defiant 

 notes. This gave me a fine opportunity to determine that they were 

 typical canadensis, and at the same time test the strength of a wing- 

 shot from the enraged gander as he danced around for a flank move- 

 ment while I was making advances upon his family. Strange to 

 say, these geese never showed any disposition to wander beyond the 

 village limits, though they had free access to the lake, either by 

 walking or by swimming down Indian Creek. Mr. H. B. Young, 

 who has fished and trapped in this region for many years, gave me 

 some interesting notes on the habits of these birds. Old residents 

 agree that twenty years ago not a goose remained to breed in that 

 country. At the present time several pairs, perhaps as many as 

 twenty, nest there every season, and two or three sets of eggs are 

 yearly transferred from their care to that of domestic fowls. 



At Reelfoot Lake the goose nearly always builds in the top of a 

 blasted tree over the water, sometimes nesting as high as fifty feet or 

 even higher. When the young are hatched the gander soon gets 

 notice of it and swims around the foot of the tree uttering loud cries. 



1 See L. O. Pindar, Auk. III. 1886. p. 481, for a previous record. 



