BERNICLA CANADENSIS : COMMON WILD GOOSE. 303 



(Pr. Bost. Soc, xvii, 1875, p. 447), and Allen connotes 

 the occurrence of Black Brant with the preceding species 

 (Bull. Essex Inst., x, 187S, p. 26). 



COMMON WILD GOOSE; CANADA GOOSE. 

 Bernicla canadensis (Z.) Boie. 



Chars. Tail normally i8-feathered. Grayish-brown, below p!aler 

 or whitish-gray, bleaching on the crissum, all the feathers with 

 lighter edges : head and neck black, with a broad white patch on 

 the throat mounting each side of the head ; tail black, with white 

 upper coverts. About 36.00 ; wing, 18.00-20.00 ; tail, 6.50-7.50 ; 

 bill, 1.75-2.00; tarsus usually over 3.00. North America, 

 abundant ; United States chiefly in winter, but also in summer; 

 breeding sparingly. 



This is the characteristic and only abundant Goose of 

 New England, occurring as a winter resident and spring 

 and fall migrant. It is nearly equally abundant inland 

 and along the seacoast. No regular time of arrival and 

 departure can be assigned, but it is found in spring on the 

 breaking up of the ice, and in fall until its freezing over. 

 The flight begins commonly late in March, and con- 

 tinues through April, and sometimes even in May. In 

 the fall the arrival is generally late in November. This 

 Goose is supposed to breed on some of the islands in 

 Massachusetts and Buzzard's Bay. Mr. Audubon sup- 

 posed it to breed in New England ; but we have no 

 authentic record of its doing so. 



