320 Phillips, Unusual Flights of Canada Geese. l_July 



breasted Mergansers was noted. At four p. M., eight geese came 

 into the pond, followed by seven Black Ducks. 



October 4 was very warm, with a strong south wind. The 

 weather was muggy, close, and cloudy. At six a. m. sixty geese 

 passed just east of the blind, very low and seemingly tired. Soon 

 after, eight geese lighted just in front of us, and in an hour twelve 

 more joined them. These geese came in and lighted without 

 making a turn. We had no goose decoys in use, but obtained six 

 of them. The rest could hardly be driven from the pond, and a 

 small lot lighted with my live geese in a meadow about half a 

 mile south. 



I mention this to show that these geese had every indication of 

 having met very unfavorable conditions for their journey. The 

 warm wave continued through the next day, and the temperature 

 on October 5 reached 85 degrees in Boston, almost a record for 

 October. The strong southwest wind also continued. 



I afterwards attempted to learn all that I could concerning the 

 flight, and the following occurrences can be vouched for. 



Chebacco Lake, Exsex County, October 3, one bunch of geese 

 heard going over. 



Accord Pond, South Hingham, October 3 and 4, two bunches 

 (thirteen and sixteen) in the pond. 



At Silver Lake, Kingston, on the same dates, bunches of fifteen, 

 twenty-five, and eighteen in the pond, and about fifty flying. 



In Robbins Pond, East Bridgewater, fourteen came to the pond. 



In Jacobs Pond, Norwell, three flocks, thirteen, thirteen, and 

 twenty-seven, were seen. 



A few geese came into Duxbury Bay on the same flight, " possibly 

 fifty." 



At Ponkapoag Pond, Canton, one hundred and fifty were noted. 



All these occurrences were during the same period as the flight 

 mentioned for Wenham Lake. 



Glancing now at the Canadian daily weather charts, we find, in 

 brief, the following state of affairs. 



Our geese must have started late on October 2, or early on 

 October 3, as our record of 4 P. m., October 3 indicates. The 

 charts show us a typical cyclonic storm moving northeastward, 

 accompanied by moderate precipitation. On the 2d, at 8 a. m., 



