WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE 119 



LIFE STORY 



The White-fronted Goose, while very rare on the eastern half of the 

 continent, is comparatively abundant throughout the West. The breed- 

 ing range of this variety is practically circumpolar, and White-fronts are 

 common throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere. On this conti- 

 nent they are popularly known as "laughing geese," due to the peculiar 

 cry of the bird. They are also commonly known as "grey wavys," the 

 word wavy being a corruption of the Indian word "wa-wa" meaning 

 wild goose; and both here and in England the term "specklebelly" is 

 commonly used. The flesh of these geese is very desirable and they are 

 much sought by gunners. The White-front is very similar to its close 

 relative the Tule Goose. The main difference is one of size, the Tule 

 being larger and bearing about the same relation in size to the White- 

 front that the Honker does to the Lesser Canada Goose. 



Large numbers of the White-fronted Geese of Europe winter around 

 the Mediterranean Sea, and it may be that the classical and historic flock 

 of geese that saved Rome were of this variety! The story may bear re- 

 peating: "The tradition is that when the Gauls invaded Rome a detach- 

 ment in single file clambered up the hill of the capitol so silently that the 

 foremost man reached the top without being challenged; but while he 

 was striding over the rampart, some scared geese, disturbed by the noise, 

 began to cackle, and awoke the garrison. Marcus Manlius rushed to 

 the wall and hurled the fellow over the precipice. To commemorate this 

 event, the Romans carried a golden goose in procession to the capitol 

 every year." (Brewer, 1902). This is said to have occurred in B. C. 390. 



Bridging the gap to the year 1940, it is interesting to read an extract 

 from the Weekly Edition of the Times, London, which says "There has 

 been a new and most interesting night sound this week in the excite- 

 ment of the geese at the approach of a German raider. Before the sirens 

 have sounded, even before the human ear has caught the drone of an 

 aeroplane overhead, there has been an outburst of angry cackling from 

 these historic sentinels." 



Of the arrival and nesting of this goose in Alaska, Nelson (1887) 

 says: "When the White-fronted Goose first arrives in the north the lakes 

 are but just beginning to open and the ground is still largely covered 

 with snow. The last year's heath berries afford them sustenance, in com- 

 mon with most of the other wild fowl at this season. As the season ad- 

 vances they become more numerous and noisy. Their loud call notes and 

 the cries of the males are heard everywhere. The mating season is 

 quickly ended, however, and on May 27 .... I found their eggs at the 

 Yukon mouth. From this date on until the middle of June fresh eggs 

 may be found, but very soon after this latter date the downy young begin 

 to appear. These geese choose for a nesting site the grassy border of a 

 small lakelet, a knoll grown over with moss and grass, or even a flat, 

 sparingly covered with grass. Along the Yukon, Ball found them breed- 

 ing gregariously, depositing their eggs in a hollow scooped out in the 



