LESSER SNOW GOOSE. 47 



the coast, and as far south as Texas and Southern CaH- 

 fornia. It, nevertheless, occurs sometimes on the At- 

 lantic coast, and I have known of its being killed on 

 Long Island. It is perhaps the most abundant goose 

 found in California, and occurs in large numbers all 

 over the country from the valley of the Mississippi west 

 to the Rocky Mountains, where it is often associated 

 with the larger snow goose, to be described later. On 

 the plains of Montana, near the foot-hills of the Rocky 

 Mountains, they are abundant, and when they first ar- 

 rive are quite gentle, so that I have often ridden on 

 horseback within easy shooting distance of them, al- 

 though a man on foot would not have been permitted 

 to approach so near. 



In the Hudson's Bay district both forms of snow 

 goose are abundant, and in old times used to form an 

 important article of subsistence for the Hudson's Bay 

 posts. Of late years, however, they have become so 

 scarce that this source of food supply can no longer be 

 depended upon. 



While the flesh of both the snow geese is highly es- 

 teemed by some people, I have never considered it de- 

 sirable. Usually it has a strong taste of sedge, so pro- 

 nounced as to be, to some palates, very disagreeablCo 



