92 



GEESE 



JUVENILE. Moults and plumages similar to those of Common Canada Goose. 



SPECIMEN IDENTIFICATION 



See Common Canada Goose. 



FIELD MARKS 



Same as for Common Canada Goose. 



LIFE STORY 



This large, dark-coloured variety of the Canada Goose group occu- 

 pies a decidedly local habitat from Vancouver Island, in British Colum- 

 bia, north to Prince William Sound, in Alaska. It is practically non- 

 migrato'ry and does not wander far inland at any season. The damp 

 climate of the west coast has a tendency to develop heavy, dark, saturated 

 colours in many of its birds. This goose and the Cackling Goose are 

 good examples of this phenomenon. 



Although this goose is common, even abundant, in some parts of its 

 restricted range, very little is known of its nesting habits. Dixon (1908) 

 relates: "The country about Canoe Passage on Hawkins Island was low 

 and rolling, with large open parks bordered by wooded creeks. There 

 were a number of lagoons almost shut off from the bay by long grassy 

 gravel bars. One mountain in the interior of the island was 1,900 feet 

 above the sea, according to 

 the aneroid." Dixon found 

 Western Canada geese nesting 

 near these lagoons, and about 

 the 20th of June, goslings, 

 which all seemed to hatch at 

 about the same time, were 

 everywhere. He found one 

 nest which was placed in the 

 open close to the trunk of a 

 large tree just at the edge of 

 the wood. It was lined with 

 moss and down and held 6 

 eggs, which were almost ready 

 to hatch. The same writer is 

 quoted by Grinnell (1910) as 

 follows: "In crossing some 

 marshy flats we came upon 

 six geese, five of which flew 

 noisily away; but the sixth 

 came gabbling toward us. We 

 soon saw that her unusual 

 tameness was due to her an- 

 xiety in regard to six or eight 

 newly-hatched goslings that 



