of the Hudson’s bat territory. 
137 
First let menotice that magnificent bird the Canada goose ( Anser 
canadensis ), probably one of the finest of its kind in the world. 
This is the earliest arrival of the waterfowl migrants in spring, and 
makes its appearance at Moose with extreme regularity on the 
23rd of April, St. Gleorge’s day. So much is this the case that, 
during the ten years of my residence there, we had on every St. 
Gleorge’s day a goose for our mess dinner, first seen and shot 
on that day, and this I learnt from older inhabitants had been 
the case for many previous years. I may add that this bird 
arrives with equal punctuality at York Factory in lat. 57° N., 
450 miles further north, but a week later. 
The Cree Indians, both at Moose and York Factory, assert 
positively that a small brown bird uses this goose as a convenient 
means of transport to the north, and that they have been often 
seen flying off 1 when their aerial conveyance was either shot or 
shot at. The little passenger has been pointed out to me, but I 
have forgotton its name, and it certainly makes its appearance on 
the shores of Hudson’s Bay at the same date as this goose, which, 
by the way, is the only kind that is said to carry passengers 
The natives of the McKenzie Biver, more than 1000 miles to 
the north-west, tell the same story. From my observation I am 
led to believe that there is another species of the Canada goose, 
much larger, but less numerous t . The male of this larger bird 
is distinguished by a ruddy-brown colour of plumage on the 
breast, by the greater loudness and sonorousness of its call, 
and by its much greater size, so that a difference is made in 
the quantity served out as rations to the men. The line of 
flight is also different, as they generally pass by Eupert’s Biver 
about 100 miles east of Moose, but a few are sometimes to be 
* Since this paper was read, an article by J. E. Harting, on “ Small birds 
assisted on their migrations by larger ones,” has appeared in the Natural 
History columns of ‘ The Field ’ of March 31st, 1888, in which will be found 
much additional information on the subject. — J. R. 
t Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway in their ‘ Water Birds of North America ’ 
recognize two species of Canada Goose — a large species with 18 to 20 tail-feathers, 
and a smaller one with 13 to 16 tail-feathers. Each of these supposed species 
they subdivide into two races, a grey and a brown one. Dr. Elliott Coues, 
in his ‘ Key to Noi’th- American Birds ’ (2nd ed. 1884, p. 689), remarks “ there 
seems little probability of establishing good characters for more than one 
species of the canadensis group, with probably four varieties: — (1) large, no 
collar (702, canadensis) ; (2) small, no collar (704, hutchinsi ) ; (3) large, 
collared (702 a, occipitalis) ; (4) small, collared (703, Icucopareia).” The two 
larger ones both have 18 tail-feathers ; the two smaller ones 16 only. — Ed. 
