LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN WILD FOWL 183 



and irregular lines. Perhaps this is due to the immense numbers in the flocks 

 noted on James Bay. When a flock of " waveys " is passing, the Indian hun- 

 ter will imitate their call by a single, high-pitched " guop " — very different 

 from the double '' au-unk"' in the case of Canada geese. As the blue geese 

 approach with answering calls, an accompanying undertone is heard, a conver- 

 sational " ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-f/a," with an occasional clear " whistle." The whist- 

 ling note is the call of young birds. The Indian makes use of all these sounds, 

 employing the " cackling " notes and an occasional whistle when the birds 

 are near enough to hear it. 



On one occasion, while lying in a blind, I heard a peculiar, startled 

 " squawk." Looking up I saw a single blue goose pursued by a duck hawk. 

 The goose ducked and swerved here and there in his flight, with the duck 

 hawk swooping after. The chase continued some distance down the marsh, 

 when finally the duck hawk turned aside and gave it up. 



Fall.—Mv. Murie says of the fall flight : 



The extensive salt-water marshes around the south and part of the west 

 shore of James Bay furnish an excellent feeding place for shore birds and 

 various ducks and geese, including thousands of blue geese. I was told that 

 blue geese are seen as early as August. By September at least they begin to 

 arrive in James Bay, and during this month and most of October they con- 

 gregate in immense flocks, principally in Hannah Bay, at the extreme south 

 end of James Bay. Here the Indians go for their annual goose hunting. A 

 blind of willows is placed at a favorite feeding spot, often beside a small 

 streamlet cutting its way by several channels over the mud flat. For decoys, 

 lumps of mud or sod are turned up with a wooden spade. In the top of each 

 lump is thrust a small stick or twig, at the end of which is fastened a piece 

 of folded paper, or, better yet, a small bundle of white quills from a snow goose 

 is stuck in to represent the white head. These crude decoys are very realistic 

 at a distance and prove effective. 



The blue geese feed on the open tide flats, while the Canada geese are often 

 found in the swamps or open muskegs well within the margin of the forest. 

 The birds become extremely fat, sometimes bursting open in the fall to the 

 ground when shot. According to native information they do not feed at all 

 the last few days before they begin their flight farther south. In 1914 the 

 blue geese were seen leaving for the south, up the Moose River, on November 1. 

 The following autumn they went south October 21 and 22. In each case snow 

 was falling, with a north or northeast wind. 



Winter. — Few people, who have not seen them, appreciate the 

 astonishing abundance of blue geese in the narrow confines of their 

 winter home on the coast of Louisiana. 



Mr. Hersey states in his notes : 



I am told that before going north most of the flocks congi-egate in the 

 vicinity of Great and Little Constance Lakes on the Gulf coast west of Ver- 

 milion Bay. These flocks are said to be enormous, but the estimates I heard 

 of their numbers were too vague to be of use. One game warden, a very 

 conservative man, told me, however, that he once saw a spot 5 miles long and 

 1 mile wide (approximately), covered with blue geese, all standing as close 

 together as they could get. Three men fired 5 shots into this flock and picked 

 up 84 dead birds. 



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