ANDERSON — THE BIRDS OF IOWA. 1 87 



and a few other suitable localities. In North Dakota I have seen 

 nests placed both upon a muskrat house in the center of a large 

 slough and upon the ground on small rocky islands. 



The Canada Goose runs into varieties westward. The Mu.seum 

 of Natural History, State University of Iowa, has a series of over 

 five hundred skins of Branta canadensis, mostly from Nebraska 

 and Iowa, -in which almost every phase of variation is repre- 

 sented. The greater number of the Iowa specimens are the large 

 canadensis proper, but many specimens are found which are clearly 

 referable to hutchinsii and minima. 



A typical male in the University collection, shot by D. H. Talbot 

 near Sioux City, Nov. 17, 1886, measured: extent (spread of 

 wings) 72; wing 21 ^2: tail 7^; bill 2.44; weight 135/2 pounds; 

 tail i8-feathered; white cheek-patches confluent on throat. 



61. (172a). Branta canadensis hutchiiisii i^w ."SSiA^ic^.). Hutch- 

 ins Goose. 



The Hutchins Goose is colored exactly like the Canada Goose 

 but its size is much less. Ridgway (Manual N. A. Birds) gives 

 the average measurements: wings usually less than 16; culmen 

 less than 1.75; length 25-34; wing 14.75-17-75; culmen 1.20- 

 1.90; tail normally i6-feathered. 



A specimen from the University museum, No. 6730, was iden- 

 tified by Robert Ridgwa}' ; male, shot by D. H. Talbot near 

 Sloan, Iowa, April 14, 1884; wing 16.37; bill 1.52; narrow mot- 

 tled black strip along median line of throat; conspicuous white 

 collar on lower neck. There are several other specimens in the 

 collection: 7953, Whiting, April 3, 1885; tail feathers 16; cheek- 

 patches not separated. 6550, Whiting, April 16, 1884. 6636, 

 Whiting, March 23, 1886; wing 15.50; culmen 1.60; weight 6 

 pounds. 6726, Whiting, spring, 1885; wing 18.37; bill 1.49; 

 weight 3 pounds; tail i8-feathered; cheek-patches not separated. 



Hutchins Goose breeds only in the far North, migrating chiefly 

 through the western United States and Mississippi. It is fre- 

 quenth' observed in Iowa as a migrant, every shade of intergrad- 

 ation between this variet}' and the true canadensis having been 

 taken in the state. 



County records: Delaware — (Mrs. M. A.Triem). Cerro Gordo 

 — (Richardson). Linn — ' 'spring and fall migrant' ' (Bailey). Polk 



