Birds of Indiana. 631 



or with other geese; again each kind \v\\\ be found hy itself. 1 have 

 had them reported in flocks with Blue Geese, Canada Geese and Amer- 

 ican White-fronted Geese. Eeported from Dekalb County (R. W. 

 McBride), Lake County (Meyer), Starke County (Deane). October 18, 

 1881, a single Lesser Snow Goose was seen near Brookville with a flock 

 of tame geese, and was shot. It was preserved by Mr. E. R. Quick. 

 In spring they rarely appear late in February, usually not until the 

 early part of March, and scatter along through that month, a few re- 

 maining in the northern part of the State occasionally into early April. 



The earliest spring record I have is from Mr. H. W. McBride, at 

 Waterloo — six geese, February 23, 1890. Prof. W. P. Shannon reports 

 a flock of twenty in the vicinity of Greensburg, March 14, 1895, from 

 which eight were killed. All were immature. The next day a flock of 

 thirty was seen. The latest record I have of it is reported by Mr. C. L. 

 Barber, Laporte, March 30, 1896, and the same year Mr. Eliot Black- 

 welder saw the last in Cook County, Illinois, April 4. 



They are always conspicuous objects when the pure white adult 

 plumage contrasts with the dense black primaries. Whether with a 

 flock of their fellows or notable examples in a flock of darker colored 

 geese, they are certain to be observed. 



These, together with their larger relatives and the Blue Goose, are 

 known by many as Alaska Geese. A gentleman one day showed me 

 an Alaskan bone arrow or spear point, which he said had been found 

 in northern Indiana, and stated that for some time he had been puz- 

 zled to account for its occurrence there. Then he showed me the 

 sternum of an Alaska Goose, possibly this species, which had been shot 

 in northern Indiana, through which a similar arrow head had pierced 

 and remained firmly imbedded. He had carefully cleaned the sternum 

 and left the head of the projectile as it was found. Thus was solved 

 the problem of the way in which this implement was transported from 

 the borders of the Arctic Sea to the rich fields of northwestern In- 

 diana. 



52. (l'9a). Chen hyperborea nivalis (Forst). 



Greater Snow Goose. 

 Synonyms, Alaska Goose, White Brant. 



Same colors as last. 



Length, 20.00-26.00; Aving, 13.75-15.50; culmen, 1.50-1.70; tarsus, 

 2.30-3.00. 



Range. — North America, breeding far north (east of Mackenzie 

 Basin), and migrating south in winter, chiefly along the Atlantic coast 

 to Gulf coast and Cuba. 



