268 Phillips, Autumn Migration of the Canada Goose. [julv 



glass. Besides these, during a flight we have a good many going 

 over the island at night, which we can hear but not see. Last 

 year, 190S, in the big flight, I have heard it said that at least 10,000 

 geese passed in one day, but probably this is an exaggeration." 



Of course, it is probable that such large and attractive sheets of 

 water as Duxbury Bay concentrate a migratory wave, even if few 

 birds are stopping, and the same may be true with the larger ponds 

 to a lesser extent. However, there are no extensive observations 

 that I can find on points away from the ponds. 



Calculations for Number. — Now as to the Oldham records on 

 the point of numbers. I have the totals and averages for the past 

 five years of all geese seen from this point. Flocks that are un- 

 estimated, of which there is an average of five each year, I place at 

 35, this being the average size of a migrating flock, as taken from a 

 list of about 40 bunches which were carefully counted. Many of 

 these unestimated bunches were large ones, so we are on the safe side. 



The smallest year was 1906 — 458 and 9 bunches. 

 The largest year was 1909 — 1649 and 4 bunches. 

 The total average of geese per year is 1145. 



To this I think it fair to add 50% more for all those passing 

 unobserved in the night, for those which escape observation in the 

 day time, and for the January flight. We then get a total yearly 

 average of 1717. Now the arc of sky under observation at Oldham 

 is comparatively narrow\ Geese east of us can only be seen a very 

 short distance on account of flat land and high timber, and west of 

 us across the pond the land is fairly high. I assume this arc to be 

 about IJ miles wide. Some high geese would be visible outside 

 of the limits thus set, while I think low geese near either edge might 

 not be seen at all. The estimate of the width of this arc is of course 

 open to serious error, but it is the best that can be done for the 

 present. If then we divide the whole flight belt of 36 miles into 

 20 belts, each of 1 J miles, we get a yearly total of 34,340. Outside 

 of our 36 mile belt, it is useless to speculate, but it seems probable 

 that by far the largest proportion of the Atlantic coastal flight is 

 included between our parallels. 



I know very little about the height that geese may travel at. 

 It is possible that many flocks may escape observation from their 



