THE SNOW-GOOSE. 75 



second week in October. They are deliberate and judicious in their preparation 

 for their great flight southwards, and make their arrangements in a very business- 

 like manner. Leaving off feeding in the swamps for a day or more, they keep 

 out with the retreating ebb tide, retiring, unwillingly as it were, by steps at its 

 flow, continually occupied in adjusting their feathers, smoothing and dressing them 

 with their fatty oil, as athletes might for the ring or race. After this necessarv 

 preparation, the flocks are ready to take advantage of the first north or north-west 

 wind that blows, and, when that sets in, in less than twenty-four hours the coast that 

 has been covered patch-like by their whitened squadrons, and widely resonant with 

 their petulant and incessant rails, is silent as the grave a deserted, barren, and 

 frozen shore." 



Mr. R. G. McDonnell, in his report on his expedition of 1887-88, in the 

 Mackenzie and Yukon districts, North-west Canada, says that on the first of May, 

 Canada Geese were first seen at an open place on the river, and on the 5th the 

 " Wavies," (Anser hyperboreusj ' , which usually lag a few days behind the Canada 

 Geese, commenced passing northward, and in a couple of days later were passing 

 in such numbers that flocks were rarely out of sight. 



One hundred and twenty-five years ago, the naturalist, J. R. Forster, who 

 sailed with Captain Cook in his second voyage, in " Animals of Hudson's Bay," * 

 (a paper first read before the Royal Society, 1772), says :" The Indians have a 

 peculiar method of killing all these species of Geese, and likewise Swans. As 

 these birds fly regularly along the marshes, the Indians range themselves in a 

 line across the marsh, from the wood to high water mark, about musket shot from 

 each other, so as to be sure of intercepting any Geese which fly that way. Bach 

 person conceals himself, by putting round him some brushwood ; they likewise 

 make artificial Geese of sticks and mud, placing them at a short distance from 

 themselves, in order to decoy the real Geese within shot ; thus prepared they sit 

 down, and keep a good look out ; and as soon as the flock appears, they all lie 

 down, imitating the call or note of Geese, which these birds no sooner hear, and 

 perceive the decoys, than they go straight down towards them ; then the Indians 

 rise on their knees, and discharge one, two, or three guns each, killing two or 

 even three Geese at each shot, for they are very expert. Mr. Graham says he 

 has seen a row of Indians, by calling round a flock of Geese, keep them hovering 

 among them, till every one of the Geese was killed. Every species of Geese has its 

 peculiar note or call, which must gradually increase the difficulty of calling them." 



According to Richardson, they frequent the shores of lakes and rivers, and 

 are very shy and difficult to approach. 



* Reprint, by the Willughby Society of Forster's paper, 1882. 



