ZOOLOGY. 101 



Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. With the first October rain vegetation begins to spring 

 over all these prairies, and the geese and ducks now come in. Flock after flock in increasing 

 numbers they come, until their flights rival those of the passenger pigeon, and the heavens are 

 always marked by their characteristic triangles, and the air filled with their cries. 



The ducks descend to the bays, streams, and lakes, and almost cover the smaller bodies of 

 water, while the geese settle on the prairie and feed upon the fallen grain of the oat, or the first 

 tender sprigs of the springing grass, which now begins to tinge the landscape with green. 



The Canada goose is two or three weeks later in its arrival than the smaller species with 

 which it is associated, and is always outnumbered by them. 



The market men of San Francisco have a fancy that the "honkers" of the west are con- 

 siderably larger than those of the eastern States ; but I suspect this is a mistake, probably 

 occasioned by the great difference of size between the Canada goose and the white-fronted snow 

 goose, &c, which are so abundant at the same time. I remarked no difference in size or mark- 

 ings between the geese of this species in San Francisco and those I had seen on the great lakes. 



In August we found Canada geese in the marshes about the Klamath lakes and on some of 

 the small lakes in the Cascade mountains. They evidently breed in these localities. 



BERNICLA HUTCHINSII. 



Hutchins' Goose. 



This is the smallest and most abundant of all the geese which I saw in California. It bears 

 b striking resemblance to the Canada goose, of which it seems a miniature copy. I do not 

 remember to have seen any which exhibited a white ring around the neck as distinctly as in 

 Cassin's figure of Bernicla leucopareia, and I can hardly suppose that the western goose, which 

 has been called Hutchins', is, in fact, B leucopareia, nor that, if distinct, this is a common 

 bird in California. 



ANSER HTPERBOEEUS. 

 The Snow Goose. 



This bird, so rare in the eastern States, is exceedingly abundant in California during the 

 winter. As far as my own observation extended, it was not, however, the most common 

 species, its relative abun 'ance being less than that of either A. Huichinsii or A. erythropus, 

 Hutchins' goose being the most abundant of all. I was much interested while on the prairies 

 frequented by the geese in noticing the perfect harmony of intercourse which seemed to exist 

 among the smaller species. They intermingled freely while feeding, and, when alarmed, rose 

 without separation ; and I have often seen a triangle flying steadily high over my head com- 

 posed of individuals of three species, each plainly distinguishable by its plumage, but each 

 holding its place in the geometrical figure as though it was composed of entirely homogeneous 

 material, perhaps an equal number of the darker species, with three, four, or more pure, snow- 

 white geese flying together somewhere in the converging lines. 



ANSER ERYTHROPUS. 



White-fronted Goose. 

 This goose, called " speckled belly" in the San Francisco market, is abundant during the 

 winter in all the valleys of California. Like the greater part of the water fowl which arrive 



