Interior of British North America. 141 



numbers. Mr. Ross also notes it as common on the Mackenzie 

 to the Arctic coast. The low marshy country bordering the 

 lower part of the Saskatchawan River, in the neighbourhood of 

 Fort Cumberland and "the Pas" Mission, is a great resort, 

 where, in 1857, as I passed on my boat-voyage at the close of 

 September, I had a good introduction to the water-fowl. I saw 

 many Indians return in the evening, after the day's " Goose- 

 hunt," with their bark canoes literally filled with geese; and 

 they were mostly of this species. This, I regret, led me into 

 hot water; for, happening to mention that in our progress, 

 during a high breeze, we passed through a shower of feathers 

 that I supposed came from some Indian encampment adjoining 

 the river, I was questioned by a correspondent in the ' Zoologist ' 

 (' Zool.' 6642) as to whether I could distinguish, better than the 

 ancient Scythians, feathers from snow ; to which being forced to 

 reply, I proposed a simple experiment admirably adapted for 

 a closet naturalist; but this was unfortunately mistaken for 

 "chaff," as I was informed in a second letter ('Zool.' 6763). 

 However, I hope (for I left England shortly after, and was 

 unable to reply again to my critic) that by this time both 

 feathers and chaff are entirely blown away, and that I need say 

 no more on the subject. Having carefully examined a number 

 of the Laughing Geese, and found much difference in colouring 

 between the old and young birds, although measuring the same 

 size, or nearly so, I am inclined to doubt the new species Anser 

 frontalis of Baird, described from specimens from Red River 

 Settlement and Fort Thorn. Besides, Mr. Barnston does not 

 seem to have any suspicion of a second species; and I never 

 heard the Indians mention anything about one. A specimen of 

 A. gambelii, which I received from Hudson's Bay, is now in the 

 Museum of the Royal Artillery Institution at Woolwich, where, I 

 may state, an application either to the Secretary or to Mr. H. 

 Whitely, of 28 Wellington Street, will gain any naturalist ready 

 admission to examine my specimens. 



105. Bernicla canadensis. 



This is the "Common Grey Goose" of the fur-traders and 

 voyageurs of the territories of the Hudson's Bay Company. Its 



