264 Phillips, Autumn Migration of the Canada Goose. [july 



Currituck, N. C, has been visited nearly every winter for the 

 past eleven years, and close observation and inquiry has led me to 

 believe that geese are slightly on the increase in that sound. This 

 may be due to a partial shifting of more westerly flights owing to 

 changed conditions of the country, to an increase in the Atlantic 

 Coast flight, or to a complex of conditions of which we are ignorant. 



The score in geese at one club at Currituck, for the past season, 

 was over one thousand ; though this is an especially favorable place. 

 At this same club 5795 geese have been taken in the last 22 years. 

 1909-10 is the largest year, corresponding with largest flight at 

 Oldham Pond. It does not seem possible that geese can be even 

 holding their own, though old goose gunners in Massachusetts see 

 no decrease. 



Arrival in Massachusetts. — Turning to Massachusetts, I find 

 my earliest date for arrival is at Wenham, September 28, 1900. 

 Earlier flocks have been noted, but I am not entirely satisfied that 

 they were not cormorant, so I shall not consider them. In 1904 

 there is a date for killing on October 1 at Wenham. From 1900 to 

 1909, the average appearance at Wenham is October 16. The latest 

 appearance is November 16. 



The past five years at Oldham Pond, Pembroke, show earliest 

 October 15, latest October 22, average October 19. Dates of first 

 killing at the old Island camp, 1876-97, are earliest October 11, 

 latest November 8, average October 23. I note that the ten year 

 average at Wenham is earlier than any other average, which is 

 curious, because fewer geese occur there. Since then I have found 

 an earlier date, October 2, 1891, for Oldham — 6 out of 7 geese shot. 



Perusal of my Oldham books shows in a general way an October 

 flight from the 15th to 27th, which is followed by an entire blank. 

 The November flight begins from November 5 to 19, the dates 

 for the five years being November 8, November 5, November 19, 

 November 8, November 5. Thus there is an interval during which 

 no geese are seen. It averages seventeen days, or 12, 11, 27, 23 and 

 15 days respectively. 



The birds in the early flight are apt to be low and to decoy well. 

 No great flights are noted, and I should doubt whether they ever 

 occur. 



The November flight lasts for a long time, interrupted by periods 



