LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN WILD FOWL 195 



passing through herd after herd of cattle, which increased in numbers as the 

 water was approached. A coyote stopped to take a fleeting glance from the top 

 of a hill opposite, then disappeared. A jack rabbit scurried from in front. A 

 familiar cry overhead caused us to look up. It came from a flock of sand- 

 hill cranes, far out of reach, which were sailing on toward their feeding ground 

 in the stubble. We reached the edge of the lake, and hundreds of ducks rose 

 as the horses neared them, mostly shovelers and teal, but mallard, widgeon, 

 and pintail were all there. The geese were across the lake, thousands in one 

 band. Every now and then a white line jointed the resting birds, and at the 

 approach of a flock their discordant cries could be heard a mile away. How 

 to get a shot seemed more or less of a problem, owing to lack of cover. 

 Finally we noticed a few bunches of rushes extending well out into the lake, 

 the only possible chance to hide. We waded out and took a position in the 

 farthest clump. The Mexican led off the horses and started on a tour to the 

 farther shore. It was a long way off, almost 4 miles, but there was plenty to 

 watch. Every few minutes flocks of ducks would pass over us in range, but 

 we let them go. Gulls circled around, crying at the unusual sight of two men 

 with guns. We looked over at the geese. At times cattle seemed almost among 

 them ; yet the white assembly did not move, and we only heard them when a 

 flock was about to alight to those on the ground. The horses were getting 

 closer, and finally a part of the body started, to settle down a little farther on. 

 But presently a tumultuous clamor, and the entire company was in motion. 

 Line after line separated and led out into the lake. Some followed the oppo- 

 site shore ; an immense flock led toward our clump, and we crouched in the 

 water. On they came, scarcely a hundred yards off. But geese are uncertain, 

 even in Mexico, and for some reason best known to themselves they turned 

 when just out of range and led toward the shore beyond us. In a few minutes 

 they were reassembled and the immediate prospect of a shot gone. The 

 Mexican, with his string of horses, continued down the opposite side, evidently 

 after birds we could not see. Ducks were around us all the time, and flocks 

 drifted by within easy range, unmolested. Before long we heard the familiar 

 cry and looked to see a mass of white heading for the flock on the shore ; our 

 blind was right in their line, and they came on, low down over the water, 

 nearer and nearer ; finally, 50 or more seemed directly over us, so close we could 

 see their red bills and legs. This was the chance ; back to back we raked them, 

 four barrels ; 3 birds fell on one side, 2 on the other. The reports started all 

 of the wild fowl in the country. In a few minutes part of the first flock came 

 over us from the opposite direction, and 2 dropped. A flock of geese swung 

 in range over the dead birds, and we killed 2 more. For an hour the shots 

 were freqitent, but the birds became wiser every mirwate and kept to the middle 

 of the lake or else came over the blind out of range. We picked up 18, a dozen 

 white, the rest white-fronted — all one Mexican could pack on a horse. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Breeding range. — Nearly circumpolar. On the barren grounds 

 and Arctic coasts of North America, east at least as far as the 

 Anderson River and Beechey Lake, in the district of Mackenzie, and 

 west as far as the Yukon Valley (Fort Yukon, Lake Minchumina 

 and the Yukon delta). On the west coast of Greenland, mainly be- 

 tween 66° and 72° N. In Iceland, Lapland, Nova Zembla, Kola, 

 Kolguev, and along the Arctic coast of Siberia to Bering Straits. 

 The only gap in the circumpolar breeding range seems to be be- 



