186 ANATIDJ5. 



obliged to dive frequently, they soon become fatigued and 

 make for the shore, with the intention of hiding themselves, 

 but as they are not fleet, they fall an easy prey to their 

 pursuers. In the autumn they again assemble in flocks 

 on the shores of Hudson's Bay for three weeks or a month 

 previous to their departure southwards. It has been ob- 

 served, that in their migrations, the Geese annually resort 

 to certain passes and resting-places, some of which are 

 frequented both in the spring and autumn, and others only 

 in spring. The Canada Goose generally builds its nest on 

 the ground, but some pairs occasionally breed on the banks 

 of the Saskatchewan in trees, depositing their eggs in the 

 deserted nests of ravens or fishing eagles. Its call is 

 imitated by a prolonged nasal pronunciation of the sylla- 

 ble wook frequently repeated." 



The beak is black ; the irides very dark brown ; head, 

 and nearly all the neck, black ; chin and throat white, 

 extending upwards, and ending in a point behind the ear- 

 coverts. This white patch, from its similarity in colour 

 and position to a neckcloth, has given origin to one of the 

 names of this species, the Cravat Goose. The back and 

 the wing-coverts, the secondaries and tertials, brown, the 

 feathers of all these except the first, with lighter coloured 

 edges ; primaries and tail-feathers black ; the rump also 

 black ; the upper tail-coverts white ; lower part of the 

 neck almost white ; breast and belly pale brown ; vent 

 and under tail-coverts white ; legs, toes, and interdigital 

 membranes dark lead colour, almost black. The whole 

 length, according to Dr. Richardson, forty-one or forty- 

 two inches ; the wing, from the carpal joint to the end of 

 the longest quill-feather, nineteen inches and a half. 



