176 GAME BIRDS, WILD-FOWL AND SHORE BIRDS. 



History. 



The White-fronted Goose was formerly an nnconimon 

 spring and autumn migrant on our coast (Howe and Allen). 

 Dr. J. A. Allen (1879) gives it as a rare migrant, spring and 

 fall, and says that Dr. Brewer states that it was more common 

 thirty or forty years ago, as was the case with many of our 

 other Ducks and Geese. It is now regarded as a mere strag- 

 gler on the entire Atlantic coast. There are but five definite 

 records of its occurrence in Massachusetts, A male is recorded 

 as having been shot in Quincy and presented to the Boston 

 Society of Natural History (1849). ^ In Plymouth an adult 

 male was shot November 26, 1897, by Mr. Paul W. Gifford; 

 this specimen is now in the Brewster collection.^ Since the first 

 edition of this book was written the following additional Massa- 

 chusetts records of the occurrence of this species have been 

 published. Mr, Benjamin F. Damsell records two that were 

 killed on the Salisbury marshes, October 5, 1888.^ An adult 

 bird which had been wounded was captured on Great Neck, 

 Ipswich, by Mr. A. B. Clark in August, 1907. This bird 

 lived several years, and several unsuccessful attempts were 

 made to cross it with a wild Canada Goose. ^ There are five 

 New York records substantiated by specimens (Eaton). 



It is known as a Brant in some of our western States, 

 where it is abundant in migration. Formerly it was common 

 as far east as the Ohio River, and specimens are likely to 

 occur in Massachusetts. 



The flight of the White-fronted Goose is similar to that of 

 the Canada Goose. There is the same V-shaped formation, 

 and at a distance it readily might be mistaken for that of the 

 Canada Goose. 



Audubon says that in Kentucky this Goose feeds on beech 

 nuts, acorns, grain, young blades of grass and snails. 



1 Cabot, Samuel: Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. 1851, Vol. Ill, p. 136. 

 -Brewster, William: Auk, 1901, p. 135. 



3 Allen, Glover M.: Auk, Jan., 1913, p. 22. 



4 Fay, S. Prescott: Auk, 1911, p. 120. 



