180 The Goose-like Birds 



throughout, with the exception of the black primaries. Its breeding grounds are 

 unknown, but are probably in the Arctic regions to the east of Mackenzie River; 

 in winter is found from the Chesapeake Bay to Cuba, but is rare on the coast 

 north of Virginia; very little is known of its habits. Similar but smaller is the 

 Lesser Snow Goose (C. hyperboreus), which is only twenty-three to twenty-eight 

 inches in length. It is found in western America, breeding in northern Alaska 

 and migrating south in winter to southern California and along the Asiatic coast 

 to Japan. Its habits are likewise but little known. The smallest species is 

 Ross's Snow Goose (C. rossii), this being only twenty to twenty-six inches in 

 total length, and otherwise differing from the two mentioned above by the smaller, 

 weaker bill. It is found in the interior of Arctic America in summer and in 

 winter migrates as far south as Montana on the east and southern California on 

 the west. Its nests, eggs, and habits, as well, are practically unknown. The 

 last species of the genus is the so-called Blue Goose (C. carulescens\ which may 

 be known by the plumage being chiefly grayish brown, the rump and wing- 

 coverts usually bluish gray. It was formerly thought to be the young of the 

 Snow Goose, but it is now known to be a distinct species. It is found in eastern 

 North America, spending the summer on the eastern shore of Hudson's Bay and 

 migrating southward, chiefly in the interior, to Texas. The nest and eggs are 

 not known. 



Brent or Sea Geese. Passing over a small number of relatively unimportant 

 Old World forms, we come to the last members of this subfamily, namely, the 

 Brent or Sea Geese (Branta). They have in general much the same form as those 

 previously mentioned, but are distinguished by the darker plumage, the head 

 and neck being mainly black, and the bill, legs, and feet entirely deep black at 

 all ages. Of the eight or nine species and subspecies recognized all but one are 

 found in North America, and of these the Canada Goose (B. canadensis) is by far 

 the best known. It is a bird from thirty-five to forty-three inches long, with the 

 back and wings grayish brown, the under parts grayish white, the head and neck 

 black, with the throat and a large patch on the side of the head white. It is one 

 of the most widely distributed of our birds, being found over nearly the entire 

 temperate parts of the continent. It breeds mainly in the northern United States 

 and the British Provinces, coming south in winter to the Middle and Southern 

 States, and even to Mexico. It usually builds a nest of sticks, lined with down, 

 this being placed on the ground in open country, or along the shores of rivers or 

 lakes, or occasionally in trees, then utilizing an old nest of the Osprey or some 

 other large bird. The eggs are usually four or five in number, buffy white, and 

 about three and one half by two and one half inches. They usually migrate at 

 night and their familiar honk-honk comes floating through the air with astonishing 

 distinctness. They are strong, rather rapid flying birds, and when on the wing 

 arrange themselves in V-shaped lines under the direction of a trusted leader, who 

 avoids so far as possible all suspicious places. Occasionally they become confused 

 on entering a bank of fog or the smoke overhanging a city and come close to 

 the earth, when they not infrequently dash against monuments and lighthouses. 

 They feed on aquatic plants, seeds, roots of sedges, etc., and when feeding in 



