Vol 'wn VI11 ] Phillips, Unusual Flights of Canada Geese. 321 



it was over the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and on the 3d it is described 

 as a severe storm in and about Newfoundland. On this date the 

 winds were northwest, and from sixteen to fifty-two miles an hour 

 at Newfoundland points, with heavy precipitation; while by the 

 4th the winds all along the coast were south, and of considerable 

 strength. 



The storm therefore passed north of New England, leaving 

 rather high pressure and high temperature along the coast. Geese 

 starting from eastern Labrador probably had northerly winds and 

 low pressure, with some precipitation; while from southwestern 

 Labrador they would also have had fair winds. In any case, this 

 flight must have rather suddenly encountered adverse winds, with 

 high temperature and pressure. It seems to me most likely that 

 these facts account for the apparent exhaustion of the flocks noted 

 at Wenham. Much more difficult is it to account for the start. 

 If we knew the origin of the Massachusetts coastal flight, we might 

 obtain a clue. One point of great interest, however, is the fact 

 of an exceedingly early spring for 1910. If the date of inland ice 

 departure is a fair criterion — and I think it is — I find for Moose- 

 head Lake, Maine, that this date was 24 days earlier in 1910 than 

 the previous four year average. The following information kindly 

 supplied by the Maine Central R. R. tells the same story. " I am 

 giving you below the dates the ice went out in the spring of 1910, 

 which was an abnormal year, and some three weeks ahead of the 

 usual schedule for that event. Sebago Lake, April 1. Belgrade 

 Lakes, April 6; in 1909, April 26. Green Lake and other fishing 

 waters on our Mount Desert branch, April 6. Grand Lake, April 

 10; in 1909 the date was May 6. The Rangeleys, April 18." 



New England birds are known to have nested early in 1910, and 

 the migratory waterfowl probably did also. In this connection, it 

 is interesting to note that Canada Geese bred by me at Wenham 

 in 1910 were flying the last week of July — an early date, though 

 I can give no actual comparative ones. 



The second flight that I wish to speak of was a delayed and much 

 concentrated migration which began on November 28, after a 

 long interval during which almost no geese were seen at Massa- 

 chusetts points. In fact, it was the regular mid-November flight 

 delaved about two weeks. 



