18 PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA No. 9 



ferently while several ineffective shots' rained pellets all around them. This 

 duck is often called "Pintail" by the hunters. 



Lesser Snow Goose. Chen hyperboreus hyperboreus (Pallas). 



White geese swarm by thousands on the west side plains. No record has 

 been obtained of their date of arrival in the fall, but as late as April 7 (1906) 

 they were congregated in large numbers on several hundred acres of grassy 

 pasture near the Artesian Lake. Just before sundown, as I drove past, the 

 ground was white almost as far as one could see and the noise was deafening. 1 

 have not had an opportunity of measuring any of these geese, but there appears 

 to be a great variation in size. During January large flocks of Snow Geese move 

 restlessly about, flying at a great height, and generally travelling toward the 

 north. 



White-fronted Goose. Anser albifrons gambeli iiartlaub. 



Less common through the winter than the white geese, this bird, which 

 inhabits much the same country, is nearly always in evidence on account of its 

 loud, clear call notes. This species is sometimes found along the sloughs in 

 October, and remains, in some instances at least, until the second week in April. 

 During periods of stormy weather they often fly over in large flocks, apparently 

 with no definite object in view other than a change of feeding grounds. Their 

 cry is often heard at night, especially during moonlight evenings. 



Canada Goose. Branta canadensis canadensis (Linnaeus). 



Under this heading I have placed all the large "honkers" found in this part 

 of the San Joaquin Valley. After examining not a few geese in the markets 

 and in the possession of hunters, I have concluded that the race occidentalis 

 either does not occur as commonly as supposed or that its validity as a subspecies 

 is rather questionable. I have never yet seen a bird that would fit the book de- 

 scriptions of that form. 



No doubt there are persons who have access to a sufficiently large series of 

 specimens to enable them to work over this group thoroughly and if necessary 

 name one more subspecies to make provision for those individuals that are not 

 quite typical of either canadensis or occidentalis. After all, though, would it not 

 be a much more satisfactory solution to adopt the nomenclature of the market 

 hunters and simply call them all "honkers." Happy is the man who is not con- 

 cerned about the presence of one or two black feathers properly placed ! 



Wherever large open grain fields are to be found, especially if they are not 

 too far removed from some river or large body of water, these geese may be 

 looked for at any time during the winter. In stormy weather they often roam 

 around in large flocks or small detached companies. This species departs earlier 

 in the spring than the White-fronted or Snow Geese and have usually all left the 

 valley by the middle of March. 



It seems a pity that these splendid birds cannot adapt themselves to a changed 

 environment and thus defer that day when we will no longer be able to number 

 them among the birds of the Fresno district. 



HuTCHiNS Goose. Branta canadensis hutchinsi (Richardson). 



These small geese, known to hunters as "China Geese" or "Little Honkers," 



