378 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 116:9— Dec, 1920 



The Canada Goose 



To most of us this bird is the wild goose that we see in V-shaped 

 flocks moving swiftly through autumnal skies, the "honking" of 

 the leader at the head of the wedge and the shrill response of his 

 followers, stirring our blood and in some strange manner uplifting 

 the spirit. We, in central New York, seldom see one of these 

 birds alone or with its mate for it is not a permanent resident with 

 us. Its migration southward takes place from October to early 

 December but in our minds is associated with November when we 

 regard the passing of a flock as a harbinger of colder weather. 

 "A snowstorm follows the wild geese from the north" say the coun- 

 try folk. The spring migration may take place from late February 

 to early May but usually occurs about the first of April and is 

 regarded as a promise of spring. 



Those geese that nest in Newfoundland and near the north 

 Atlantic coast migrate along the coast, rarely out of sight of land; 

 but those that nest inland migrate by other routes, resting on large 

 bodies of water safe from hunters. These geese winter in the 

 southern half of the United States and they nest as far north as the 

 forests extend in the lower Yukon, in N. W. Mackenzie and Central 

 Keewatin to Southern Oregon, Northern Colorado, Nebraska and 

 even in Indiana in the West, — and in the East — in the Hudson Bay 

 region, ^^abrador and Newfoundland. 



Whenever we eat Meunier's chocolate we should think grate- 

 fully of the elder Meunier who rescued the island of Anticosti in 

 the mouth of the St. Lawrence from squatters and pot hunters 

 and has kept it as a bird preserve. On this island the Canada 

 geese breed as do many other species of water fowl, and the niunber 

 of geese moving along the Massachusetts Coast has increased since 

 this refuge was estabHshed. 



The Canada goose builds its nest on the ground, preferably in a 

 marsh on seme island or islet; it is made of twigs, grasses, reeds 

 and a large amount of down, probably plucked by the mother 

 from her own breast; the eggs are from four to seven in number 

 and greenish white in color. The parents are very devoted to 

 each other and together care solicitously for their goslings. The 

 gander is a valiant fighter and is very brave in protecting his nest 

 and family from their enemies which are largely otters, fishers, 

 mink and other predatory animals that haunt the marshes. The 

 goslings, as soon as their down is dry after hatching, go with their 



