212 The Water-fowl Family 



GOOSE-SHOOTING IN MEXICO 



The large bodies of water that are found at 

 rare intervals in northern Mexico are the resort 

 through the winter of countless numbers of geese : 

 not the Canada goose of the East and Middle 

 West, but the snow goose and the white-fronted 

 goose. In early October the hordes arrive, an- 

 nouncing their coming with discordant clamor. 

 They choose as a resting-place the shallow alkali 

 waters, and as a feeding-ground the neighboring 

 corn stubble, if such there be. A short distance 

 from Minaca is one of these lakes, some twenty 

 miles in length. In the Mexican summer, rains 

 replenish the scanty water supply left over from 

 the spring, and October finds it a paradise for 

 water-fowl. Shut in by the rolling hills of the 

 mesa, yellow with wavy grass, its blue surface 

 reflects a bluer sky. All around, as far as the 

 eye can reach, are herds of cattle, for some six 

 miles away is a ranch ; and at this spot, one fall 

 recently, we stopped. Early in the morning a 

 breakfast of tortillas and coffee was served, and 

 before it was finished a Mexican boy appeared 

 with the horses. Guns were slipped into the sad- 

 dle-cases. Our attendant found room for most of 

 our ammunition in his saddle-bag, and we started 

 for the lake. It was a ride of about six miles, 

 over an open country ; but the horses were fast, 



