76 WATER FOWL. 



molested by their keen-witted foes. The female Cack- 

 ling Goose is a persistent sitter, and will give up her life 

 rather than desert her nest. Turner relates a circum- 

 stance which demonstrates this in the strongest manner. 

 In the Islands of Agattu and Semiche, in the Aleutian 

 chain, during the period of incubation, there occurred, 

 in the latter part of June, a heavy snowstorm that cov- 

 ered the ground to the depth of three feet. The geese 

 would not quit their nests and were suffocated, and the 

 natives found scores of birds after the snow had melted, 

 dead at the post of honor. The natives of Alaska capture 

 many of the goslings of this species, and rear them, when 

 they become very tame. When the weather is very severe 

 in winter they require to be fed, but they also find a 

 supply of food in a rather curious way. The roofs of the 

 houses are covered with sod, and the heat of the dwell- 

 ings causes the tender grass constantly to spring up, and 

 the Geese are always on the housetops searching for 

 these sprouts. The call of this Goose is a low Honk, or 

 a rapidly repeated note like Luck, luck. A great number 

 of these birds are killed during their stay in the North by 

 all manner of devices, and are salted for winter use, the 

 state of freshness of the meat at the time of packing be- 

 ing a matter of .no consequence whatever, so long as it 

 is Goose. Many are shot, others are caught in nets, and 

 not a few are brought down by three or more stones fast- 

 ened to thongs having their opposite ends tied together, 

 and which revolve on being hurled into the air, and tangle 

 up one or more birds in a flock flying low overhead. 



This Goose begins to leave on its southern migra- 

 tion in October or beginning of November, according to 

 the season or locality it is in. They are good judges of 

 the weather and usually start before a storm. At times 

 these birds arrive in California in October and remain 



