LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN WIIJ> FOWL 267 



be raised to welcome new arrivals. They are mucli less noisy than either 

 the white-fronted or cackling geese, which often make the tundra resound 

 with their excited cries. Occasionally I could cause a passing flock to leave 

 its course and swing in close to my place of concealment by imitating their 

 flight notes. 



Again (1887) he writes: 



While a pair is feeding, the male keeps moving restlessly about, with eyes 

 constantly on the alert, and at the first alarm they draw near together and just 

 before they take wing both utter a deep, ringing u-lugh, u-high. As in the case 

 of the call note, this has a peculiar, deep hoarseness, impossible to describe. 



Game. — Mr. Turner (1886) says that these geese — 



Form an important article of food in the Yukon district, alike to the white 

 and native population. They are mostly obtained by means of the gun. The 

 best localities near .St. Michael are toward the western end of the canal, 

 along the edge of the low grounds bordering the hills of the mainland, and 

 near the village of Stepliansky (Athwik, native name), on the western side 

 of St. Michael Island. This area is low, intersected with innumerable swamps 

 and connecting streams, forming a fine feeding ground for all kinds of water- 

 fowl. 



A regular camping outfit is taken by sledge and dogs to a chosen locality. 

 In the early morning a site is selected where the geese fly around some ending 

 of a hill range, for they fly low and prefer to sweep around the hills rather 

 than mount over them. They are frequently so low in their flight that the 

 hunter has to wait until the geese are well past before he can shoot them 

 to an advantage. A nearly constant stream of geese fly around a certain point, 

 just to the left of the Crooked Canal, on a slight eminence, formed from the 

 deposit of soil torn up by some immense ice cake, which the high tides of some 

 December in years long gone by had left as the water receded and the warm 

 weather of spring had melted ; now overgrown with patches of rank vegetation. 



By 10 o'clock the geese were done flying for that morning. The low character 

 of the ground did not favor approach to the geese feeding at the ponds. 

 During the middle of the day a quiet sleep invigorated the hunter for the 

 late evening shooting, the latter generally affording a less niunber of geese 

 than the morning's shooting. 



By the next morning a suflEicient number of geese were obtained to heavily 

 load a sledge ; drawn by six lusty Eskimo dogs, assisted by two sturdy natives. 

 This sport generally lasts from the arrival of the geese until the first week of 

 June. At this time they repair to the breeding grounds. During the summer 

 the geese are not hunted. The eggs are eagerly sought by the natives and 

 whites and take the place of meat of the birds. In the latter part of August 

 or the early ijart of September the fall shooting begins, as the geese have 

 molted, the young are able to fly, and they are fattening on the ripening 

 berries. The geese are now obtained by watching the ponds, or as they fly 

 over in small flocks or singly. Should a flock not fly sufficiently near, a 

 favorite method to attract their attention is for the hunter to lie on his back, 

 swing his arms and hat, kick up his legs, and imitate the call of the geese. 

 It rarely fails to bring them within distance, and may, if several be just shot 

 from their ranks, be rep(>ated, and even a third time. Later in the season, when 

 cool and frosty nights are regular, great luimbers of the geese are killed and 

 disemboweled for freezing to keep throughout the winter. The feathers are 

 left on the birds, for the flesh is said to keep in better condition. 1'he body is 



