352 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. IX. 



The Canada Goose is common during the migrations in Illinois 

 and Wisconsin, and once bred in numbers along the upper Mississippi 

 Valley, but at the present time a few pairs make their nest occasionally 

 in Michigan and Wisconsin, and possibly a very few in Illinois. The 

 nest is a mass of sticks on the ground (very rarely in trees). The 

 eggs are usually 4 to 5, cream white or ivory white in color, and 

 measure about 3.20 x 2.25. 



The following varieties or subspecies are recognized. There are 

 apparently no well marked differences to separate them, except that 

 of size, and, while the extremes are easily recognized, intermediate 

 specimens are numerous. 



71a. Branta canadensis hutchinsii (Sw. & Rich.). 

 HuTCHiNs's Goose. 



Distr.: Arctic America, south to Virginia, the Mississippi Valley, 

 Lower California, and Mexico in winter; breeds in the far north from 

 Melville Peninsula to Alaska. 



Adult: Plumage, similar to B. canadensis; size, medium; length, 

 25 to 34; wing, 14.75 ^o ^7i tarsus, 2.30 to 3.20; bill, 1.20 to 1.90. 



The Hutchins's Goose is merely a small form of the Canada Goose, 

 interinediate in size between it and the Cackling Goose. Common in 

 winter from southern Illinois, Louisiana, and Texas, and at times 

 abundant in Illinois and Wisconsin during the migrations. 



71b. Branta canadensis minima Ridgw. 

 Cackling Goose. 



Distr.: Northwest coast of Alaska and Lower Yukon, where it 

 breeds. Winters from southern British Columbia to California; 

 stragglers occur in the Mississippi Valley and Wisconsin. 



Adult: Breast and upper belly often darker, being brownish instead 

 of gray; size, small; length, 21 to 25 inches; wing, 13.60 to 14.50; 

 tarsus, 2.30 to 2.75; bill, .95 to 1.15. 



If this form occurs in Wisconsin or Illinois, it must be considered 

 as accidental. 



"Occasional migrant to Mississippi Valley, Wisconsin, Michigan, 

 Illinois (mentions specimen from Andalusia, Illinois)." (Ridgway, 

 Orn. of Illinois, 1895, p. 123.) "Sometimes reaches the Mississippi 

 Valley; has been killed as far east as Wisconsin." (W. W. Cooke, 

 Bird Migration Mississippi Valley, 1888, p. 78.) Messrs. Kumlien 

 and Hollister say: "Credited to the fauna of Wisconsin in Ridgway 's 



