486 THE BIRDS OF MANITOBA THOMPSON. 



breeds say that they do not pass over Manitoba on their return, but take a more 

 western course. Although I have spent two weeks every October for the past 15 years 

 in shooting, I have never seen more than an occasional flock of perhaps fifty birds in 

 the autumn. (Hunter, in MSS.) 



48. Anser albifrons gambeli. American White-fronted Goose. Laughing Goose. 

 Specklebelly. 



Winnipeg: Migrant; transient visitor, rare (Hine). Anser frontalis 

 of Baird from Red Kiver Settlement (Blakiston). Ossowa: Migrant; 

 May 11 (Wagner). Shell River, 1885, first seen, eighteen, on April 10 ; 

 a transient visitor, passing north and not breeding or remaining any 

 time (Oalcutt). Near Long River, May 19, 1882, C. T, shot a pair of 

 White-fronted Geese, but secured only the male; length, 27^; extension, 

 58; testes but little developed; gizzard full of young shoots of aquatic 

 plants; a peculiar wart or excrescence grew on the tibio-tarsal joint. 

 No others of the species were seen (Thompson). Near Cumberland 

 House and Basquiau they are found in such numbers that the Indians 

 in moonlight nights frequently kill upwards of twenty at a shot 

 (Hearne, 1795). 



49. Branta canadensis. Canada Goose. Wild Goose. Wavy. 



Abundant ; migrant; a few breed ; common at boundary along Mouse 

 Riverin late September (Ooues). Winnipeg: Summer resident; abun- 

 dant; a few breea (Hine). Red River Settlement : April 2, 1856, April 

 1, 1858 (Blakiston). Red River Valley: Abundant in migration; a 

 few breed (Hunter). Breeding on Lake Winnipeg in June (Kennicott). 

 Swamp Island, 1885: First seen, eighteen, on April 14; next seen April 

 15, when it became common; breeds heie; in fall; last seen Septem- 

 ber 23, 1886; first seen, four, on April 8; bulk arrived April 16 (Plun- 

 kett). Ossowa: Common; breeding, 1885; last seen, fifteen, on No- 

 vember 28 (Wagner). Oak Point, 1885, April 7 (Small). Portage la 

 Prairie: Common in spring and fall; a few breed in the marshes near 

 Lake Manitoba; arrives about the middle of April or before should 

 there be open water; departs when all the lakes and rivers are frozen 

 over, usually about the 10th of November (Nash). In 1879, breeding 

 on the Assiniboine, where Brandon now is ; also above the rapids (Ma- 

 coun). Two Rivers, 1885 : Great flight April 1 ; next April 3; common 

 in spring and fall (Criddle). Brandon : Two j oung taken on the river 

 August 25, 1882 (Wood). Dalton, 1889 : First seen, about fifteen, on 

 March 21 ; next seen on March 22 ; became common on March 26 ; was 

 last seen May 10 ; rarely breeds here (Yoemans). Shell River, 1885: 

 First seen, fifteen, on April 9; afterwards se^^n nearly every day in the 

 migrating season ; odd pairs breed near here (Calcutt). Qu' Appelle: 

 Common summer resident ; breeds April 1 to 10 (Guernsey). Carbeiry : 

 Abundant in migration; rarely breeding south of Souris River; mi- 

 grant; breeding near Shoal Lake, west (Thompson). 



