WILD FOWL. 65 



travellers, and soon disappeared. In the succeeding autumn, 

 the Wild Geese, as was usual, returned from the northward in 

 great numbers, to pass the winter in our bays and rivers ; Mr. 

 Piatt happening to be standing in his yard, when a flock passed 

 directly over his barn. At that instant he observed three Geese 

 detach themselves from the rest, and after wheeling round seve- 

 ral times, alighted in the middle of the yard. Imagine his sur- 

 prise and pleasure, when, by certain well-remembered signs, he 

 recognized in one of these three Geese, his long-lost fugitive. 

 It was she, indeed ; she had travelled many hundred miles to 

 the lakes — ^had there hatched and reared her offspring, and had 

 now returned with her little family, to share the sweets of civi- 

 lized life. The truth of the foregoing relation can be attested 

 by many respectable people, to whom Mr. Piatt has related the 

 circumstances, as above detailed. The birds were all living, and 

 in his possession about a year ago, and had shown no disposi- 

 tion whatever to leave him.' " — Wilson's American OrnitJiology. 



HUTCHINS' GOOSE. 



Anser HutcMnsii. Hutchins' Bernade Goose ; Sw. Sf Rich. Hutch- 

 ins' Goose, Anser HutcMnsii; Aud. Orn. Biog. 



" Specific Character. — Bill from the corner of the mouth to 

 the end, one inch and nine-sixteenths ; length of tarsi, two 

 inches and seven-sixteenths ; head and upper part of the neck 

 black ; cheeks white. Adult with the bill black ; head and up- 

 per part of the neck glossy black ; a white patch on the sides 

 of the head and neck, similar to A. Canadensis ; upper parts 

 brownish-gray, the feathers margined with paler ; lower parts 

 pale grayish-browTi, margined with yellowish-brown ; abdomen 

 and lower tail coverts white ; tail of sixteen feathers, of a deep 

 brown color, as are the primary quills ; feet and claws black. 

 Length twenty-seven inches, wing sixteen. 



" At the eastern extremity of Long Island, this species is not 

 5 



