1 02 ZOOLOGY. 



and depart with them, they migrate northward early in the spring, and pass the summer far 

 above the Columbia, many of them spending the short season OK the shores of the Arctic sea. 

 With the approach of cold weather, they return toward the south, their numbers augmented by 

 all the young of the season. They travel by stages, stopping, from time to time, in such 

 places as aiford them food, and remaining at these resting places till admonished by the frosts 

 of the necessity of another movement. A large number remain in the valleys of Oregon 

 during the winter, but by far the greater part pass on toward the valleys of California, where 

 winter is almost unknown. They begin to appear in California early in October, but most of 

 them arrive in November and December. 



The present species is most highly esteemed of all the geese which come into the San Fran 

 cisco market, good ones being worth from 75 cents to $1 per pair, while Hutchins geese are 

 worth but 50 cents per pair. These prices, where the expenses of living are so great, indicate 

 their abundance. 



The speckling of the under surface is a constant character in this species, though liable to 

 considerable variation in degree. Among many hundreds which I examined, a few only were 

 uniformly brown below. 



ANAS BOSCHAS. 

 The Mallard. 



Very common in all parts of the west visited by us. We found them breeding in many 

 different localities in the interior, and on the mountain streams and lakes. 



MARECA AMERICANA. 

 The American Widgeon or Baldpate. 

 Common in California, and on the Columbia and Willamette, in Oregon. 



ANAS STREPERA. 

 The Gadwall or Grey Duck. 



The gadwall is, apparently, not common in California, but I saw it occasionally in San 

 Francisco in November and December. 



DAFILA ACUTA. 



The Pin-tail. 

 Common in California and Oregon in winter. 



QUERQUEDULA CAROLINENSIS. 



The Green-winged Teal. 



This beautiful duck, the rival of the more gorgeous wood duck, is, like the mallard, univer 

 sally diffused over the Pacific provinces. We found them breeding in the interior in summer, 

 and congregated in great numbers, with other water fowl, on the Columbia and about San 

 Francisco in winter. 



AIX SPONSA. 

 The Wood Duck. 



Common throughout California, Oregon, and Washington. There, as everywhere, when 

 found, the handsomest of the family. 



