the mouth of the Colorado river and to some extent 

 into Lower California. It is more numerous than any 

 other of the dark colored geese of the Pacific Coast. 



Color The same as the Canada goose, with the ex- 

 ception that it is a little darker on the under parts. 

 Nest and Eggs The same as the Canada goose, but 

 the eggs number as high as ten. 



Measurements Wing, 13 to 14% inches; bill, from 

 one to one and one-eighth. 



THE SNOW GOOSE, OR WHITE GOOSE 



(Chen hyperborea) 



The lesser snow geese, commonly called white geese, 

 are the larger of the two species of white geese so 

 numerous on the Coast. They not only feed, but mi- 

 grate in great flocks, and these migrations often take 

 place at night when their sharp cries will be heard high 

 in the air. The lesser snow goose is found as far east 

 as the Mississippi valley and south on the Pacific Coast 

 to San Diego. Occasionally a few are seen at Ensenada 

 and the valley of the Palms in Lower California. The 

 meat is tough and poor in flavor and, therefore, they are 

 hunted but little except by the market hunters, who, 

 somehow, succeed in selling a good number of them 

 to the uninitiated. 



Color Pure white, with black bill and legs; the pri- 

 maries, or long feathers of the wings, are black. 



Nest and Eggs The nests are made close to the 

 water's edge and contain about ten dirty white eggs. 



Measurements Wing, about 16 inches; bill, 2^4 

 inches. 



THE ROSS GOOSE 



LITTLE WHITE GOOSE 



(Chen rossii) 



The Ross goose has been given the name of China 

 goose by many who wanted some distinguishing nomen- 

 clature for them, when in fact the Ross goose is purely 

 an American Pacific Coast bird. Like the snow goose 

 it is pure white with black primary plumes. Young 

 birds of both species are occasionally seen in the early 

 part of the season more or less mottled on the breast 

 with yellowish gray feathers. The Ross goose is only 

 about half the size of the snow goose. Aside from this 

 it can always be known by the warty appearance of the 

 upper half of the bill. They are commonly seen, both 

 in feeding and in their migrations, mixed in the flocks 

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