CANADA GOOSE. 203 



or some other, may be fairly questioned, since Dr. Rich- 

 ardson states that they breed " between the 50th and 

 67th parallels." 



So soon as the young are reared, and are sufficiently 

 strong for the journey, these vast congregated flocks 

 begin their migration southward. It is then that, like 

 the quails of Egypt, they bring food and plenty to the 

 poor inhabitants, and enable them to lay up a store of 

 provisions for a considerable part of the year. The na- 

 tives and English at Hudson's Bay, according to the 

 information communicated by Mr. Hutchins to Pennant, 

 depend greatly for support upon the geese; and in fa- 

 vourable years, three or four thousand birds, independ- 

 ent of those consumed fresh, are preserved in barrels, 

 and kept for store provisions. Masters and servants, 

 Indians and Europeans, all join in securing as plentiful 

 a harvest as possible, by shooting and snaring the game. 

 For the latter purpose they form huts, made of boughs, 

 at musket-shot distance from each other, and place them 

 in a line across the vast marshes of the country; each 

 stand, or hut, being occupied by a single sportsman. 

 These watch the flight of the birds, and imitate their 

 cackle so well that the geese will answer, wheel about, 

 and come near. Meantime the sportsman, on his knees, 

 keeps motionless, with his gun cocked, but does not fire 

 until he can see the eyes of the birds. One discharge 

 is followed by that of another gun, kept ready for the 

 purpose. He then proceeds to pick up the birds : these 

 he sets upon sticks or otherwise, as if alive : but a more 

 efficacious snare is, to have some well-stuffed specimens 

 ready prepared for this purpose; and then the wild birds 

 are again attracted, and more secured. In this way, if 

 the day be fine and tlie birds plentiful, a single Indian 

 will kill upwards of two hundred; for, besides being 

 good shots, they are excellent mimics, and imitate the 

 distinct notes of all these aquatic birds of game to great 

 perfection. After such prodigious havoc as there ap- 

 pears to be made among these birds ; and their running 

 the gauntlet, as it were, for many hundreds of miles. 



