""im"'] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 487 



On October 4, 1883, near Shoal Lake, west, I chanced to call at the 

 home of Mr. McMillan, a farmer. There was a flock of six full-grown 

 tame Canadian Geese feeding about the door. Mrs. McMillan informed 

 me that in the spring they found the old goose nesting in the slough 

 near by. The bird was shot, and her seven eggs brought into the 

 house and laid by the stove during the daytime, and at night they 

 were wrapped in flannel and put away. At length they began to hatch. 

 The good wife assisted six of the goslings into the world, but, fearing 

 she had done wrong, allowed No. 7 to work his own passage. The six 

 lived and throve, while No. 7 died. (In the spring of 1884 she still had 

 the brood of swan-like birds; they were living in the barnyard in a 

 state of perfect domestication.) The fact that these eggs must have 

 been chilled nightly, and in the daytime exposed to a dry, unnatural 

 heat, shows the wonderful vitality possessed by wild eggs. 



Another farmer, living near Carberry, added some geese to his barn- 

 yard in the same way, but, I believe, they did not breed in confine- 

 ment. 



49a. Branta canadensis hutchinsii. Hutchins's Goose. 



In September a very small young bird, taken on Red River by Robert 

 Kennicott (Baird). Portage la Prairie: Common in spring and fall 

 only; have not been able to discover that it breeds near here (Nash). 



50. Branta bernicla. Braur. 



Migrant; observed only during the migration along the boundary 

 (Coues). Winnipeg: Transient visitor (Hine). Red River Valley: 

 Transient visitor; I have taken it at Shoal Lake (Hunter). Carberry: 

 Observed as a migrant; not common ; no specimen taken (Thompson). 



51. Olor columbianus. Whistling Swan. 



Occasional about the large lakes ; not demonstrated to breed. Win- 

 nipeg: Transient visitor ; rare (Hind). Oak Point, 1884 : Arrived May 

 4 (Small). Always seen in flocks high up (Macoun). Portage la Prai- 

 rie : In the autumn of 1886 saw one that had been shot on Lake Man- 

 itoba, and in previous years have seen this or the next species there 

 myself (Nash). 



Some years ago, when I built Cumberland House, the Indians killed those birds 

 (swans) in such numbers that the down and quills might have been procured in con- 

 siderable quantities at a trifling expense. (Hearne, 1769-177-2.) 



52. Olor buccinator. Trumpeter Swan. 



Rare migrant ; observed on a few occasions in Dakota late in Sep- 

 tember and in the first half of October during the migration ; said to 

 breed in Minnesota (Coues). Winnipeg: Transient visitor; rare (Hine). 

 Swamp Island, 1886, first seen, eight, on May 1 ; bulk arrived May 6 ; 

 last seen May 10; tolerably common this year (Plunkett). Portage la 



