EMPEROR GOOSE 



115 



varies from 3 to 8, but 5 or 6 is probably the usual number; the colour is 

 creamy white and the average size is 3.09 by 2.05 inches. The period of 

 incubation is 24 days. The young are hatched the last of June or early 

 July, and are led about the tundras by both parents until the last of July 

 and the first of August when the old birds moult their flight-feathers and, 

 with the still unfledged young, are extremely helpless. 



Of the habits of the Emperor Geese on their breeding grounds in 

 Alaska, Conover (1926) says: "These geese lose very little time in start- 

 ing to nest after their arrival on the breeding ground, as on May 27 a 

 female was shot that already had her breast partly picked. The first eggs 

 were not found, however, until June 2. . . .Six was the highest number 

 found by our party. About Point Dall they seemed to prefer as nesting 

 sites the inland ponds and marshes situated in the low rolling hills, rather 

 than the marshy flats bordering the bay and sea. Nests were generally 

 placed close to water, either near the bank of some pond, on an island, 

 or on the top of a large tussock in some wet marshy place. They were 

 lined with moss, grass, and down from the parent. The females sat very 

 close, generally not flushing until one was within tAi or fifteen feet. The 

 surprising thing, however, was in not finding the gander in close atten- 

 dance. At first it was thought that the male probably took little interest 

 in the nest, but this was found not to be entirely correct. At one nest, 

 situated on an island in a pond, what was presumably the gander was 

 seen several times sneaking about several hundred yards away. In an- 

 other case when a female was 

 disturbed from her eggs, she 

 was joined by two other geese 

 when she lit some way off. 

 One of these, thought to be 

 her mate, kept constantly with 

 her, while the other stayed 

 some little distance away. As 

 there was another Emperor 

 nest less than a quarter of a 

 mile off, it was presumed that 

 the odd bird was also a gan- 

 der and mate to this other 

 hen. As soon as the young 

 are hatched the male joins 

 his mate, however, and helps 

 take care of the goslings. 



"One morning, on visit- 

 ing the nest on the island 

 above referred to, the first 

 thing that caught our eye was 

 a newly hatched chick sitting 

 on the edge of the nest beside 

 its mother. As we drew closer 

 the female flushed, and with 



