GREATER SNOW GOOSE. " 67 



1851, and at Mercy Bay, latitude 74°, May 31, 1852. The average 

 rate of migration from central Montana, April 6, to Mercy Bay, May 

 31, is 33 miles per day. 



During spring migration there is nmch difference in the length of 

 time spent at different points of its route. In northern Texas the first 

 appear March 4 and the last leave April 6, each being average dates; 

 the extremes are February 18, 1887, and April 12, 1895; in other 

 words, the snow goose is usuallj^ thi rty-three days in passing northern 

 Texas, and may linger fifty -four days. At the northern boundary of 

 the United States, these periods are reduced about one-third, while 

 still farther north near Lake Athabasca the species was present in 1901 

 for at least fourteen da3^s, in 1903 for fifteen da3^s, and at Fort Simp- 

 son in 1904 for twenty-three days. They arrive on the shore of Nor- 

 ton Sound, Alaska, from May 5 to 15, and at Nulato, on the Yukon, 

 about May 9. 



Fall migration. — Early migrants of the lesser snow goose were 

 noted at Parry Bay, latitude 72°, August 13, 1821; at Point Barrow, 

 latitude 70°, August 15, 1883; at Darnley Bay, latitude 69°, August 

 17, 1848; St. Michael, latitude 64°, September 2, 1878; Terry, Mont., 

 latitude 47°, September 12, 1904; Stockton, Cal., latitude 38°, about 

 September 29; central Texas, latitude 31°, about October 11. These 

 dates indicate that the most northern breeders do not remain so long- 

 as ten weeks on the breeding grounds, and that they occupy fifty -eight 

 days in retracing the path that required sixtj^-eight days during the 

 spring migration. 



The last seen on Banks Land were noted September 7, 1850; near Fort 

 Norman, October 3, 1903; at mouth of the Yukon, about October 10; 

 ten days later the last cross the boundary of the United States to the 

 Mississippi watershed and desert central Nebraska about the first 

 week in November. 



Chen hyperborea nivalis (Forst. ). Greater Snow Goose. 



Breeding range. — The greater snow goose is enormously abundant 

 on both the eastern and the western shores of Hudson Bay during 

 spring migration, and these birds might ])e supposed to pass from 

 these points approximately north to their breeding grounds. If such 

 is the case it is somewhat strange that they have never been found 

 breeding on any of the northern islands; nor have they been noted in 

 migration anywhere north, northeast, or east of Hudson Bay, except 

 the few seen at Igloolik, a few noted by Kunjlein in Cuml)erland Bay, 

 some stragglers that have wandered to the west coast of Greenland, and 

 thiee birds seen by Greeley's party June 12-13, 1882, in Grinnoll 

 Land, latitude 82°. As already stated in connection with the lesser 

 snow goose, it is probable that these Hudson Bay geese eventuall}' 



