UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS 



IN 



ZOOLOGY 



Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 1-24, pis. 1-2, 8 text figs. November 20, 1913 



A STUDY OF A COLLECTION OF GEESE OF THE 



BR ANT A CANADENSIS GROUP FROM 



THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, 



CALIFORNIA 



BY 



HARRY S. SWARTH 

 (Contribution from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology of the University of California) 



The status of the geese of the Braiita canadensis group occurring 

 in California has been heretofore in an uncertain and unsatisfactory 

 condition, owing largely to a lack of specimens in collections repre- 

 senting the different subspecies found within the state. During the 

 winter of 1911-1912 the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology obtained a 

 large series of these geese from the San Joaquin Valley, California. 

 This was part of a collection of water birds from the region collected 

 and prepared by Mr. R. H. Beck, and acquired through the benefac- 

 tion of Miss Annie M. Alexander. This material, together with skins 

 already in the Museum collection, promised to go far towards solving 

 the problems involved, but it required only a cursory examination of the 

 series to show that nothing could be settled without additional specimens 

 representing typical B. caiiadi iisis canadensis and B. c. occidentalis. 

 The published descriptions of the last named were so much at variance 

 with specimens at hand which were supposed to be of the race, that 

 it was necessary to examine the type in order to have a basis for any 

 satisfactory conclusions. Through the courtesy of Dr. C. W. Rich- 

 mond, Acting Curator, Division of Birds, of the United States National 

 Museum, these wants were supplied by loan from the collection of 

 that institution. 



In the following pages the four forms of Branta canadi mis are 

 discussed on the basis of the accumulated material, one hundred and 



. -yeoman 

 DEC 2 1913 



