1910 J Phillips, Autumn Migration of the Canada Goose. 269 



height alone. The gunner usually depends on his decoy geese to 

 show him high flying fowl. 



The above estimates are, of course, only of comparative value, 

 and must not be taken too literally. 



Weather. — Every one who has gunned for migratory geese 

 knows in a general way that calm weather or brisk southwesterly 

 winds are better times to decoy birds than during northerly to 

 northwesterly winds. Geese will almost never stop in brisk north- 

 westerlies, though heavy flights occur on these winds. The gunner 

 does not expect and only rarely does he see geese during easterly 

 weather. Probably geese never start a migration with winds 

 directly behind them, or with a low pressure area about them, but 

 occasionally they run into a sudden local disturbance. 



In an attempt to find out something more on this subject, I studied 

 the United States Weather Charts corresponding to the dates of 

 12 big flights. I took only my own records for these dates. The 

 weather charts run up to Father Point, Quebec, and include obser- 

 vation in Newfoundland. It would take a lot of work and careful 

 study of the Canadian records to enable one to make definite state- 

 ments. Speaking very generally in regard to the whole Northeast 

 Coast, the most noteworthy feature of the weather on the dates of 

 the flights seems to be absence of wind, or winds light N. W. to N., 

 and lack of low pressure areas, though these may just have passed 

 northeastwards over the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 



An attempt was made to group flights into two classes, — Favor- 

 able and Unfavorable, — placing in the first class those high flights 

 that paid no attention to decoys or ponds, and in the second class, 

 periods when geese flew low and decoyed well. The data available 

 are not sufficient, but seem to point to the fact that geese feel more 

 like stopping after a long flight through calm w^arm air than during 

 moderate to brisk north to northwest weather, even if it be com- 

 {)licated by cloud and precipitation. 



Habits. — I cannot close without saying a word about the curious 

 fact of migrating geese entirely losing their heads when a good 

 shot is made among them. At such a time the same geese that 

 would spring at the slightest notion of danger, will often allow 

 themselves to be shot from a boat. I have once or twice seen wild 

 geese sit on the beach after a shot has been fired. This must be 



