LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN WILD FOWL 169 



round him some brushwood; they likewise make artificial geese of sticks and 

 xnud, placing them at a short distance from themselves, in order to decoy 

 the real eeese within shot ; thus prepared they sit down, and keep a good 

 lookout ; and as soon as the dock appears they all lie down, imitating the 

 call or note of geese, which these bii'ds no sooner hear, and perceive the decoys, 

 than they go straight down toward them ; then the Indians rise on their 

 knees, and discharge one, two, or three guns each, killing two or even three 

 geese at each shot, for they are very expert. Mr. Graham says he has seen 

 a row of Indians, by calhng, round a flock of geese, keep them hovering among 

 them, till every one of the geese was killed. Every species of geese has its 

 peculiar note or call, which must gradually increase the difficulty of calling 

 tliem. 



Dr. George Bird Grinnell (1901) draws a pretty picture of migrat- 

 ing snow geese, as follows : 



The spectacle of a flock of these white geese flying is a very beautiful one. 

 Sometimes they perform remarkable evolutions on the wing, and if seen at a 

 distance look like so many snowflakes being whirled hither and thither by the 

 wind. Scarcely less beautiful is the sight which may often be seen in the 

 Kocky Mountain region during the migration. As one rides along under the 

 warm October sun he may have his attention attracted by sweet, faint, dis- 

 tant sounds, interrupted at first, and then gradually coming nearer and clearer, 

 yet still only a murmur ; the rider hears it from above, before, behind, and 

 all around, faintly sweet and musically discordant, always softened by dis- 

 tance, like the sound of far-off harps, of sweet bells jangled, of the distant 

 baying of mellow-voiced hounds. Looking up into the sky above him he sees 

 the serene blue far on high flecked with tiny white moving shapes, which 

 seem like snowflakes drifting lazily across the azure sky ; and down to earth, 

 falling, falling, falling, come the musical cries of the little wavies that are 

 journeying toward the southland. 



Winter. — Doctor Coues (1874) refers to the abundance of snow 

 geese in the winter resorts in California, as follows : 



On the Pacific coast itself, particularly that of California, the birds are prob- 

 ably more abundant in winter than anywhere else. Upon their arrival in Oc- 

 tober, they are generally lean and poorly flavored, doubtless with the fatigue 

 of a long journey ; but they find abundance of suitable food and soon recuperate. 

 At San Pedro, in southern California, in November, I saw them every day, 

 and in all sorts of situations — some on the grassy plain, others among the 

 reeds of a little stream or the marshy borders of the bay, others on the bare 

 mud flats or the beach itself. Being much harassed they had grown exceed- 

 ingly wary and were suspicious of an approach nearer than several hundred 

 yards. Yet with all their sagacity and watchfulness — traits for which their 

 tribe has been celebrated ever since the original and classic flock saved Rome, 

 as it is said — they are sometimes outwitted by very shallow stratagem — the 

 same that I mentioned in speaking of the speckle-bellies. It is strange, too, 

 that the noise and general appearance of a carriage should not be enough to 

 frighten them, but such is the case. I have driven in a buggy along the open 

 beach directly into a flock of snow geese that stood staring agape, " grinning " 

 the while, till they were almost under the horse's hoofs ; the laziest flock 

 of tame geese that were ever almost run over in a country by-road were in 

 no less hurry to get out of the way. Advantage is often taken of this ig- 

 norance to shoot them from a buggy ; and, though they have not yet learned 



