122 C II. Merriani — Birds of (Connecticut. 



yet the puvitj'^ of the air is such, that the biggest is accompted but 

 au indifferent nieale for a couple of men. There is of them great 

 abundance. I have had often 1000. before the moutli of my gunne. 

 I never saw any in England for my part so fatt, as I have killed 

 there in those parts, the fethei's of them makes a bedd, softer than 

 any down bed that I have lyen on : and is there a very good com- 

 modity, the fethers of the Geese that I have killed in a short time 

 have paid for all the ])owther and shott, I have spent in a yeare, and 

 I have fed my doggs with as fatt Geese there, as I have ever fed 

 upon myself in England."* 



232. Branta Canadensis (Linne) Gray. Canada Goose; Wild Goose. 



A winter resident, common during migrations ; they arrive in 

 November (Nov. 24, _18'72, Sage), some remaining through April and 

 sometimes even into May (May 22, 1864, Sage; May 10, IBVY, C. H. 

 M.). Linsley writes that "Hundreds of the common 'Wild Geese' 

 winter at the mouth of the Housatonic, and so near my own dwelling 

 that I often with my telescope present a distinct view of their eyes 

 to my friends who call. Birds are said to be near enough to shoot 

 when their eyes are visible to the sportsman. Many ai"e killed here 

 merely for sale by gunners, who frequently send them to New 

 York."! Capt. Brooks says that they occasionally stop about the 

 islands off Guilford, Conn., and that he killed two last November. 

 Mr. Grinnell tells me that generally a few still winter about the 

 mouth of the Housatonic River, Conn., and that over two hundi-ed 

 remained there last winter (1876-7). They begin to go north (some 

 passing nearly due east) during the latter part of March (from IVIar. 

 24th on), and all through April large flocks may be seen and heard 

 overhead. Many of these contain upwards of one hundred and fifty 

 birds, and I should say that they average about seventy-five. They 

 were particularly numerous last spring (1877), and scarcely a day 

 passed during April but one or more flocks were seen. 



233 '(. Branta Canadensis, var. Hutchinsii (Rich.) Cones. Hutchins' 



Goose ; Southern Goose. 



Not common. " Stratford," Conn. (Linsley). Mr. Geo. Bird (Trin- 

 nell tells me that the hunters about jNIilford, Conn., all make a dis- 

 tinction between the common or Canada Goose and the Southern 



* Force's Historical Tracts, Tract 5, (vol. ii,) p. 46. 



f Am. Jour. Sci. and Arts, vol. xhv, No. 2, p. 269, 1843. 



