THE ORNITHOLOGISTS’ AND OOLOGISTS’ SEMI-ANNUAL. 25 
THE CANADA GOOSE. ~ 
Branta canadensis. 
BY WM. G. SMITH, LOVELAND, COLORADO. 
Here, upon the plains of Larimer Co., Colorado, is the winter re- 
sort of great numbers of Canada Geese. Small lakes are here very num- 
erous ; and as this is a great wheat and corn growing section, which 
furnishes them with a fine feeding ground, 
great numbers stay here through the winter. 
I do not think the Canada Goose breeds 
anywhere in Colorado; but I have seen 
many in Wyoming Territory, about 200 
miles north of here during the month of 
June, and have reason to believe that they 
were breeding there ; but had no time to 
investigate. 
They arrive here from the North early 
in October, and are then very fat and well 
feathered. The Hutchins’ variety gen- 
erally precedes them by a few days, but 
they do not stay here in any great numbers 
through the winter, but after lingering a 
few weeks, pass on to more southern lati- 
tudes. On their return journey north, they do not stay here, except 
to rest for a few hours. 
_ During severe weather, when the thermometer registers in the tens 
below zero, the Geese will congregate on a large Jake near my house 
and will by constant swimming about, with the assistance of thousands 
of Mallard Ducks (which also stay with us all winter), keep open sev- 
eral acres of water. At such times either the Geese or the Ducks 
will always be found at their post, as it is a matter of life or death to 
them then, the Geese go off to feed at early morning when the Ducks 
come home, and also in the evening, taking care to get home by dusk, 
as then the Ducks go out to feed, and don’t come back until the peep- 
o'-day. 
In the five years that I have resided here, I have never known them 
to fail to keep open a large piece of water, which, without their con- 
CANADA GOOSE, 
