Zibo Swarth, Races of Branta canadensis. [April 



1. Two-year plumage-cycle (like Larus Philadelphia): — Xema 

 sabini, Rhodostethia rosea, Larus minutus, Larus franklini, Larus 

 atrieilla, Rissa brevirostris and Rissa tridactyla. 



2. Three-year plumage-cycle: — Larus hecrmanni, Larus canus, 

 Larus brachyrhynchus, Lams dclawarensis and Pagophila alba. 



3. Four-year plumage-cycle (like Larus argentatus): — Larus cali- 

 fornicus, Larus vegae, Larus affinis, Larus occidentalis, Larus schis- 

 tisagus, Larus marinus, Larus nelsoni, Larus kumlieni, Larus glau- 

 cescens, Larus leucopterus and Larus hypcrboreus. 



JiS W. 70th Street, New York, N. Y. 



THE SUBSPECIES OF BRANTA CANADENSIS (LINNAEUS) 1 



BY H. S. SWARTH 



In the January, 1920, issue of 'The Auk' (pp. 94-102) Mr. J. D. 

 Figgins has a paper on "The Status of the Subspecific Races of 

 Branta canadensis." This paper is devoted in large part to severe 

 criticism of a publication of my own upon the same subject. 2 I 

 could not possibly take exception to Mr. Figgins for differing from 

 me in matters of opinion, nor for publishing his conclusions. I am, 

 however, perfectly justified in feeling resentful at the ungracious 

 wording of his argument. I object to such statements, for ex- 

 ample, as that measurements I have taken are unreliable and that 

 I have suppressed such measurements as did not answer my pur- 

 pose. I object to having statements ascribed to me that I did 

 not make. I object to having statements of mine "interpreted" 

 — I do not think they need it. 



Before discussing in detail some of the statements he has made, 

 it is best, perhaps, to give Mr. Figgins' conclusions, then some of 

 my objections to them. He says finally: "It is, therefore, pro- 

 posed that 'hutchinsi' and ( occident(dis , be eliminated as subspecific 

 forms, that minima be raised to specific rank and that the occas- 



^ontribution from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology of the University of 

 California. 



2 A study of a collection of geese of the Branta canadensis group from the San 

 Joaquin Valley, California. Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool., vol. 12, 1913, pp. 1-24, pis. 

 1-2, 8 text figs. 



