LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN WILD FOWL 221 



which return from the north in October are continually added to until they are 

 often several hundred strong, and remain thus until the beginning of spring. 



On a recent (1916) visit to the grent shooting resorts on the coasts 

 of Virginia and North Carolina, I was told by the members of some 

 of the gun clubs that geese were more abundant than ever before and 

 are increasing every year. I certainlj'- saw more geese in the north 

 end of Currituck Sound on one of the rest days than I had ever 

 seen in my life before; great rafts of them were gathering to feed 

 in the shallow water on the fox-tail grass and wild celery which 

 abounds in that region ; the water was black with them as far as I 

 could see; flock after flock was constantly coming in from the sea; 

 and sometimes it seemed as if they came in. flocks of flocks. They 

 winter here in large numbers; probably this vicinity is the greatest 

 winter resort on the Atlantic coast, for here they find abundant food 

 in the fresh-water bays and sounds and ample security from pursuit 

 on the broad waters of Chesapeake Bay or even on the open sea in 

 calm weather. They feed largely at night, as they are often driven 

 out of the bays during the days when shooting is allowed. 



Winter. — Canada geese spend the winter quite far north in the 

 interior, where they can find suitable food and large bodies of open 

 water. 



M. P. Skinner says in his notes : 



In winter the reduced number remain at the outlet of Yellowstone Lake 

 and on numerous waters kept open by hot springs and geysers. A number of 

 our meadows are underlain by springs sufficiently warm to melt the snow and 

 even furnish a little green grass all winter. These are frequented by geese 

 as well as mallard and green-winged teal. 



On the coast they winter abundantly as far north as Massachusetts ; 

 probably the greatest winter resort on the New England coast is on 

 Marthas Vineyard, where the large fresh-water ponds are not always 

 frozen and where there are open salt-water ponds which never or 

 very rarely freeze. 



That the Canada goose winters abundantly in northern Florida 

 is well illustrated by the following notes sent to me by Charles J. 

 Pennock : 



The numerous shallow bays, bayous, and broad river mouths of the counties 

 cf Wakulla, Jefferson, and Taylor, lying south and southeast from Tallahassee, 

 offer attractive feeding for winter visiting Branta canadensis canadensis, 

 while not infrequently a short distance inland, just back of the bordering salt 

 marshes, numerous sand flats and burnt-over semimarsh areas afford irresistible 

 attractions to a hungry goose. Fresh shoots of grass with plenty of gravel 

 and a clear, clean sand bed on which to take a siesta seems to be a combination 

 most alluring, and in February and early March, with weather conditions favor- 

 able, numerous bands of these sturdy birds may be found constantly on the 

 move, flying in as the tide rises and stops their feeding along shore or, if 

 undisturbed after a hearty feeding on the freshly grown grass, they betake 



