The Emperor Goose 255 



welcome new arrivals. They are much less noisy than either the White- 

 fronted or Cackling Geese, which often make the tundra resound with 

 their excited cries. Occasionally I could cause a passing flock to leave 

 its course and swing in close to my place of concealment by imitating 

 their flight-notes. 



Almost at once after their arrival on the islands, the Emperor Geese 

 appeared to be mated, the males walking around the 

 females, swinging their heads and uttering low love- Mating 



notes ; and incoming flocks quickly disintegrated into 

 pairs which moved about together, though often congregating with many 

 others on flats and sand-bars. The male was entremely jealous and 

 pugnacious, however, and immediately resented the slightest approach 

 of another toward his choice ; and this spirit was shown equally when 

 an individual of another species chanced to come near. When a pair 

 was feeding, the male moved restlessly about, constantly on the alert, and 

 at the first alarm the pair drew near one another, and just before taking 

 wing uttered a deep, ringing u-lnyh, u-lugh; these, like the flight-notes, 

 having a peculiar deep tone impossible to describe. 



At low tide, as soon as the shore ice disappeared, the broad 'mud- 

 flats along shore were thronged with them in pairs and in groups. They 

 were industriously dabbling in the mud for food until satisfied, and then 

 congregated on bars, where they sat dozing in the 

 sun or lazily arranging their feathers. By lying flat 

 on the ground and creeping cautiously forward, I 

 repeatedly approached within thirty or forty yards of parties near shore 

 without their showing^ any uneasiness. 



Early in June, they began depositing eggs on the flat, marshy islands 

 bordering the sea. The nests were most numerous a short distance back 

 from the muddy feeding-grounds, but stray pairs were found nesting 

 here and there farther inland. One must have lain with neck outstretched 

 on the ground, as I afterward found was their custom when approached, 

 for the Eskimo and I passed within a few feet of each side of her; but, 

 in scanning the ground for nesting birds, the general similarity in tint of 

 the bird and the obvious stick of driftwood beside her had completely 

 misled our sweeping glances. 



The same ruse misled us several times ; but on each occasion the parent 

 betrayed her presence by a startled outcry and hasty departure soon after 

 we had passed her and our backs were presented. They usually flew to 

 a considerable distance, and showed little anxiety over 

 our visit to the nests. When first laid, the five to eight Breeding 



t-ggs are pure white, but they soon become soiled. 



When the complement of eggs to be laid approaches completion, the 

 parent lines the depression in the ground with a soft, warm bed of 

 fine grass, leaves, and feathers from her own breast. The males were 

 rarely seen near the nests, but usually gathered about the feeding-grounds 

 with others of their kind, where they were joined now and then by their 

 mates. 



