634 Report of State Geologist. 



whitish; primaries and coverts edged aiid tipped with wliite; bill pink, 

 pale lake or carmine; nails, white; feet, yellow; claws, white. 



Length, 37.00-30.00; wing, 14.25-17.50; bill, 1.80-3.35; depth of 

 upper mandible at base, .90-1.20; width, .85-1.05; tarsus, 2.60-3.20. 



Range. — North America (rare on the Atlantic Coast), breeding far 

 northward; in winter south to Cape St. Lucas, Mexico and Cuba. 



Nesl, a depression in the sand beside fresh water. Eggs, 6-7; green- 

 jsh-yellow; 3.10 by 2.07. 



This goose is a rare migrant in Indiana. 



There is a male in the collection of the Cuvier Club, Cincinnati, 0., 

 that was killed in the spring at English Lake. ]\Ir. Ruthven Deane 

 has seen it at the same place. Mr. C. A. Stockbridge has a specimen 

 in his collection, taken at Da^ds, Ind., in 1874. A goose of this species 

 was killed at Peru, April 17, 1891. It was mounted by Mr. J. E. 

 Beasley for Jos. Andre, of that city. Mr. Chas. L. Barber saw tAvo in 

 the market at Laporte April 4, 1894. They were killed on the Kan- 

 kakee Hiver, near that place. Mr. J. 0. Dunn saw some in the Chicago 

 market, from Illinois. April 7, 1894. 



Dr. Langdon notes its occurrence in the vicinity of Cincinnati, and 

 it has been noted a few other times in Ohio. (Wheaton, Birds of Ohio, 

 pp. 517. 518.) It is rare in Michigan. (Cook, Birdss of Michigan, p. 

 46.) In 1876 Mr. Nelson gave it as a very abundant migrant, occur- 

 ring in large flocks in Illinois. (Birds of Northeastern Illinois, pp. 

 136, 137.) Mr. Ridgway says nothing of its being even common in 

 1895, but notes that it frequents open prairies or wheat fields, where 

 it nibbles the young and tender blades, and corafields, where it feeds 

 upon the scattered grains. 



"The mating season is quickly ended, and on May 27, 1879, I 

 found their eggs at the Yukon mouth. From this date on until the 

 middle of June fresh eggs may be found, but very soon after that date 

 the downy young begin to appear. The geese choose for a nesting site 

 the grassy border of a small lakelet, a knoll grown over with moss and 

 grass, or even a flat, sparingly covered with grass. Along the Yukon, 

 Dall found tliom breeding gregariously, depositing their eggs in a 

 hollow scooped out in the sand. At the Yukon mouth and St. 

 Michaels they were found breeding, scattered in pairs over the flat 

 country. Every one of the nests examined by me in these places had 

 a slight lining of grass or moss, gathered by the parent, and upon this 

 the first eggs were laid. As the complement of eggs is approached the 

 fc-male always plucks down and feathers from her breast until the eggs 

 rest in a warm, soft bed. when iucul)ation commences. The eggs var}' 

 considera])ly in shape and size. Some are decidedly elongated: others 



