138 
DR. J. RAE ON THE BIRDS AND MAMMALS 
obtained at the latter place, which afforded me an opportunity of 
comparing them with the more common or smaller kind. This 
Anser canadensis (major?), instead of being seen feeding in the 
marshes as the others do in autumn, chiefly frequents the higher 
and more rocky grounds on the eastern shores of James’s Bay, 
where its principal food consists of berries of various kinds. 
By far the most numerous of the goose tribe that visit the 
Moose marshes in the autumn are the snow goose, or white- 
wavy ( Anser hyperboreus), and the blue-winged goose of 
Edwards (Anser ccerulescens ') . These birds resemble each other 
very much in size, call, and form, but not in colour ; and as 
they often feed in proximity, the blue goose was for a long 
time supposed to be merely the young of the snow goose; an 
erroneous opinion, which I endeavoured to correct in a little 
book published in 1850 by Boone, entitled ‘ Expedition to the 
Shores of the Polar Sea 1846-47.’ * 
These snow and blue-winged geese have a peculiarity I have 
never noticed in any other species. Previous to taking their 
southern flight from Hudson’s Bay some time in October, 
they remain for several days almost constantly on the open sea, 
washing themselves, takiug sudden and rapid flights, apparently 
having a “ happy time,” but they are never seen feeding. They 
are at this time very fat, and when shot, their stomachs and 
intestines are found to be entirely empty, resembling in this 
respect salmon, I am told, prior to, and in preparation for, their 
hard work in ascending rivers to their spawning-beds. After 
this period of fasting, ablution, and exercise has been gone 
through, the birds are evidently ready to start on their flight 
of some hundreds of miles. On the first favourable opportunity, 
which means a northerly wind, they take wing in batches of 
fifty or more, circling round until they attain a safe altitude, 
and then bear away on a true southerly course, never resting 
until they reach winter-quarters, on the shores or swamps of the 
Southern States t. 
* The specific distinctness of these two geese is generally admitted by modern 
ornithologists. — E d. 
t I may mention that 45 years ago the blue-winged and white-wavy geese 
visited Moose in about equal numbers, as they still do ; whereas at Albany, 100 
miles to the north, there were great numbers of the white bird and scarcely a 
blue-wing to be seen. Now the two kinds are about equally abundant there, 
whilst at Rupert’s River, 100 miles east of Moose, now, as formerly, the blue- 
winged birds are alone met with. — J. R. 
