LESSER SNOW GOOSE 131 



tiring, 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 necessary prepara- 

 tion the flocks are ready to take advantage of the first north or northwest 

 wind that blows, and when that sets in, in less than 24 hours the coast 

 that has been covered patchlike by their whitened squadrons and widely 

 resonant with their petulant and incessant calls is silent as the grave a 

 deserted, barren, and frozen shore." Sutton (1931) says: "On Septem- 

 ber 3, at about noon, we saw most of the geese tower higher and higher 

 and finally separate into neatly arranged companies of from four to five 

 to thirty birds; heard them change their tone of voice in some indescrib- 

 able way; and watched them actually leave the region, apparently for 

 good." 



Some idea of the erstwhile astounding abundance of this species 

 may be gathered from the following quotations from the early writers. 

 Coues (1874) says: "I have driven in a buggy along the open beach di- 

 rectly into a flock of Snow Geese that stood staring agape, 'grinning' 

 the while, till they were almost under the horse's hoofs; the laziest flock 

 of tame geese that were ever almost run over in a country by-road were in 

 no less hurry to get out of the way. Advantage is often taken of this 

 ignorance to shoot them from a buggy." Dr. Heermann, quoted by the 

 same writer, says that they "often cover so densely with their masses the 

 plains in the vicinity of the marshes as to give the ground the appearance 

 of being clothed in snow. Easily approached on horseback, the natives 

 sometimes near them in this manner, then suddenly putting spurs to 

 their animals, gallop into the flock, striking to the right and left with 

 short clubs, and trampling them beneath their horses' feet. I have known 

 a native to procure 17 birds in a single charge of this kind through a 

 flock covering several acres." Writing of the killing of these geese in the 

 north by the natives for food, Barnston (1862), said "The Snow Goose 

 .... becomes, from its consolidated numbers, the first and greatest object 

 of sport after the flocks alight in James Bay. The havoc spread through- 

 out their ranks increases as the season advances and their crowds thicken, 

 and even the Indian becomes fatigued with the trade of killing .... it is 

 no uncommon occurrence for a good shot, between sunrise and sunset, to 

 send to his lodge about 100 head of game." 



This killing- continued with unabated savagery until 1917, when the 

 geese received their first measure of protection, and while the Lesser 

 Snow Goose is not yet, and probably never will be, as abundant as in 

 former times, it is today more plentiful than any other goose in America. 

 It provides good sport for the gunner but its flesh is not held in the same 

 high esteem as that of some of the other species. 



