70 ANATID.E. 



The young ones are easily tamed, and are canglit in great 

 numbers by the Laps, with the old ones in a moulting state 

 and unable to fly, in July. In Sweden, Professor Nilsson 

 says this Goose is seen from spring to autumn, becoming gre- 

 garious in September and October, in the marshes near the 

 sea. Acerbi, in his Travels through Finland and Lapland, 

 mentions having shot some White-fronted Geese near Kau- 

 tokeino in Lapland, and it is recorded as visiting the Faroe 

 Islands and Iceland. The White-fronted, or Laughing 

 Goose, described long ago, as well as figured by Edwards, 

 plate 153, was from a specimen brought from EIudson"'s Bay, 

 where, however, it is not common. Of its habits in North 

 America, Dr. Richardson observes, that " the Laughing- 

 Goose travels in great flocks tlirough the fur-countries, eight 

 or ten days later than the Canada Goose, and breeds on the 

 coasts and islands of the Arctic Sea, north of the GTth pa- 

 rallel of latitude. The autumn migration southwards com- 

 mences early in September ; and its return at that season to 

 the fur districts is often the first indication of winter having 

 beofun within the Arctic Circle. The Indians imitate the 

 call of this Goose by patting the mouth with their hand 

 while they repeat the syllable wah. The resemblance of this 

 note to the laugh of a man has given one of the trivial names 

 to this species. It passes on toward the United States, in 

 advance of the Canada Goose ; and Mr. Audubon says that it 

 arrives before the latter in Kentucky, where many of the spe- 

 cies winter ; but many also, he is convinced, go entirely to 

 the southward of the United States'* boundary. The same 

 gentleman informs us that this species leaves its winter quar- 

 ters a fortnioht sooner than the Canada Goose, which is dif- 

 ferent from the order of their appearance on the banks of the 

 Saskatchewan. Its flesh is superior to that of the Canada 

 Goose. It frequents grassy ponds." 



East of our own countrv the White-fronted Goose visits 



