ANSEHIN.K - TIIK OKKMK - CIIEX. 



443 



yoarn a tiuiu' Snow (Iuohi', which imiti'd with u cummou tumi' bird; hut tin- cggH 

 w«>ro unpHMhu'tivt'. 



ArconliiiK to IMidihMuhnlT tin- Snow (ioosi' orciirn in Silicria, wlicnrt" it cxtr-ndH itH 



tnnvi>mi>nt.s to tl xtiiMiir ninth, Mr. |)n',sMt'r ulso statcH tiiat tills hird is round 



(|uitf ri'^'ularly in thi> I'aHti'in portion ol Kuropi'an KiiHsia. It lias also Ix-cn nii>t 

 witli in Japan; but in not l<nown to iiav** lN>i>n si-rn i>iti>i>r in (trt>at Iti-itain or in 

 Scandinavia. It. is In^iicvcd to have liccn taken on several occanions in IJerniany. 

 AcconliuK' to Naunianii, considcralde thicii.s iiave Ih'cu known to \msh thron^di Sih',sia. 

 iSeclistein nicntioiiH the occurrence of a lar^^e tloek ou tlie li'Hhof •lanuary, 17'.IL', pasH- 

 iuK' over t lie 'riiilrint,'er\valil. A .single .s]ieciiiieii is reported to have Iteen taken in 

 France in 18l.".>. It is also said to occur in (Jreece. 



Dr. I)cnlanil — as ipiotcd by .Mr. Drcs.scr — states that Snow (Jeese are connnon 

 in Ouba from Octolw-r to April. In October, t.Sto. two td' these birds came to a pond 

 on which some tame (icesc were swimming', and were shot. He adds that when the 

 Cieiiai^a ih- Zapata lie^ins to dry up, portions are covered with Snow (tcese, ami that 

 he had killed at lea.st thirty of tliem in one season. 1)r. .Merrill nu-ntioim this spocioH 

 as ((iiite common during' winter on the western coast of 'I'e.xas. 



Mr, Maci-'arlanc describes these (Jeese as beiuj,' very niinierous at l''ort Anderson 

 about May '-'."i. tlyin;,' northward, but bein^,' afterward driven back by the severity 

 of the weather. The nests of these birds were discovered on a small island in a lake 

 near liiverpool May. They were in ludcs in the .sandy soil, ami were well lined 

 with down. Mr. Mall found these birds common on the Vukon in thi^ spring. Their 

 Indian name is //«///.<//, or ("Jreat Wliite llird. They arrive about .May !>. tiyinj,' from 

 the .south up the river, but only stoji to feed in the marshes during' the night. They 

 do not breed in the vicinity of the Yukon, nor do they return in the fall by the same 

 route by which they came. They have all gone by May liO. 



Examples of this species were also procured at Fort Resolution by Mr. Kennieott, 

 near Fort Simp.son by Mr, H. !». IJo.s.s, and at Fort Kae by Mr. Clarke. 



fu a paiier of the lute Mr, E. Adams on tlm itirds of Michala.ski, Ala.ska (" Ibis," 

 187S), th»i first arrival of the Snow (Jooso on Norton Sound is noted as liaviug taken 

 place ou the '.)th of j\[ay. During the two following days this bird was con.staiitly 

 jiassing over in large flocks of from one liuiidrcd to three humlred, an imnicn.se num- 

 ln'r thus arriving. After tluit time only a few straggh'rs wero seen. The flocks 

 followed one another with great rapidity, and as soon as one large body disappeared, 

 another was seen advancing. In this manner — as ho was assured — they pass every 

 year, and all return about the end of September; at each season, with the ex(M'ption 

 of a few stragglers, being seen for ouly three days. Jfone of the other kinds of 

 ( Icesc were seen in such numbers ius this was, nor was any other sjiecies so regular in its 

 liight. This iiird generally ]»asscs over at a considerable height, and seldom alights 

 I'xcept at night; but the stragglers flew ex(;eptioually low, and were easily shot. 

 Kvery bird seemed to be in full plum..ge and in good eonditicm, but none remained 

 to breed. 



The smaller form probably does not differ as to its general habits and other 

 characteristics from the larger. Hut little is known as to its distribution and 

 liistory. According to Dr. Cooper it appears to Im rather common in California in 

 tlie winter. In company with the Snow Goose it fre(pu'nts the jdains, and is said to 

 have very similar habits; at least nothing distincitive has been observed. This bird 

 is much less abundant than the Snow Goose ; but a considerable number are brouglit 

 to market every winter, and they are known in the markets of San Francisco as the 

 " White Brant," on accoiuit of their snutUer size. 



