﻿232 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  record, 
  for 
  New 
  York 
  State 
  has 
  come 
  to 
  my 
  notice. 
  In 
  winter 
  it 
  inhabits 
  

   the 
  southern 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  

  

  While 
  most 
  species 
  of 
  our 
  wild 
  ducks 
  have 
  been 
  rapidly 
  decreasing 
  in 
  

   numbers, 
  the 
  wild 
  goose 
  has 
  apparently 
  held 
  its 
  own 
  in 
  New 
  York, 
  probably 
  

   because 
  the 
  breeding 
  grounds 
  of 
  those 
  geese 
  which 
  visit 
  our 
  State 
  have 
  not 
  

   yet 
  been 
  disturbed 
  by 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  northwest. 
  Our 
  geese 
  

   undoubtedly 
  breed 
  in 
  western 
  Labrador 
  and 
  the 
  Hudson 
  bay 
  region 
  and 
  

   cross 
  the 
  country 
  at 
  large 
  in 
  their 
  migrations, 
  not 
  following 
  the 
  lakes 
  as 
  

   much 
  as 
  the 
  ducks 
  which 
  come 
  to 
  us 
  from 
  the 
  interior. 
  These 
  birds 
  are 
  

   often 
  seen 
  migrating 
  at 
  a 
  great 
  hight 
  in 
  their 
  well 
  known 
  wedge 
  or 
  drag 
  shaped 
  

   formation, 
  taking 
  a 
  direct 
  course 
  for 
  the 
  desired 
  destination. 
  Mr 
  Verplanck 
  

   Colvin 
  noticed 
  them 
  during 
  his 
  Adirondack 
  survey, 
  taking 
  a 
  southward 
  

   course 
  over 
  the 
  summit 
  of 
  Mt 
  Marcy. 
  The 
  appearance 
  of 
  wild 
  geese 
  in 
  the 
  

   fall 
  is 
  considered 
  the 
  certain 
  forerunner 
  of 
  sharp 
  weather, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  

   they 
  invariably 
  appear 
  at 
  the 
  first 
  breaking 
  up 
  of 
  the 
  ice 
  in 
  our 
  bays 
  and 
  

   marshes, 
  the 
  arrival 
  being 
  announced 
  by 
  their 
  trumpetlike 
  honkings. 
  

  

  Geese 
  feed 
  on 
  the 
  scattered 
  grain 
  which 
  is 
  left 
  unharvested, 
  and 
  the 
  

   tender 
  shoots 
  of 
  winter 
  wheat, 
  and 
  in 
  spring 
  on 
  the 
  seeds, 
  roots 
  and 
  small 
  

   animals 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  flooded 
  marshes, 
  passing 
  to 
  the 
  feeding 
  grounds 
  early 
  

   in 
  the 
  morning 
  and 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  afternooon 
  from 
  the 
  wide 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  lakes 
  

   where 
  they 
  rest 
  from 
  their 
  enemies. 
  They 
  are 
  exceedingly 
  wary 
  birds, 
  

   some 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  flock 
  always 
  being 
  on 
  the 
  watch 
  for 
  the 
  slightest 
  motion 
  

   or 
  suspicious 
  appearance. 
  When 
  disturbed 
  on 
  one 
  feeding 
  ground, 
  they 
  

   immediately 
  seek 
  a 
  safer 
  pasturage, 
  and 
  they 
  are 
  rarely 
  killed 
  in 
  any 
  num- 
  

   bers 
  in 
  the 
  interior 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  except 
  in 
  very 
  stormy 
  or 
  foggy 
  weather, 
  

   when 
  the}^ 
  sometimes 
  lose 
  their 
  way 
  or 
  become 
  confused 
  and 
  many 
  are 
  

   then 
  secured. 
  

  

  Branta 
  canadensis 
  hutchinsi 
  (Richardson) 
  

  

  Hutchins 
  Goose 
  

  

  Anser 
  hutch 
  insii 
  Richardson 
  in 
  Swainson 
  & 
  Richardson. 
  Fauna 
  Bor. 
  Am. 
  

  

  1831. 
  2: 
  470 
  _ 
  

   Anser 
  htitchinsii 
  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  352 
  

   Branta 
  canadensis 
  hutchinsii 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  172a 
  

  

  hutchinsi, 
  of 
  Mr 
  Hutchins 
  of 
  the 
  Hudson 
  Bay 
  Company 
  

  

  Description. 
  Color 
  exactly 
  like 
  the 
  Canada 
  goose; 
  size 
  smaller; 
  tail 
  

   of 
  16 
  feathers 
  (sometimes 
  14 
  or 
  18 
  feathers). 
  

  

  