THE NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY. 5 1 



seven of these goslings which appeared to be at least two or 

 three weeks old. The majority of these birds arrive early in 

 March, and on thefr southward journey, in the fall, appear in 

 October. Mr. E. W. Nelson says that the Canada Goose "for- 

 merly bred commonly in the marshes throughout the state, and 

 still breeds sparingly in the more secluded situations."* 



The Canada Goose breeds in the northern United States and 

 the British Possessions. It winters as far south as Mexico. 



Branta canadensis hutchinsii (Rieb.). EutcMns's Goose. 



Anser hutchinsii Sw. & Rich., Fauna Bor. Amer., II, 1831, 470. 



Bernicla hutchinsii Woodh., Sitgr. Exp., 1853, 102. 



Branta hutchinsii Bannister, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sei. Philadelphia, 



1870, 131. 

 Branta canadensis var. hutchinsii Coues, Key, 1872, 284. 

 Popular synonyms: Lessee Canada Goose. Gray Goose. Little 



Wild Goose. Eskimo Goose. Prairie Goose. Bay Goose. 



Both Mr. E. W. Nelson* and Mr. Robert Ridgwayf record 

 this little goose as of frequent occurrence in Illinois. Mr. 

 Ridgway says that it is abundant, while Mr. Nelson speaks of it 

 as common. Within our limits it seems to be far from common. 

 Mr. J. Grafton Parker, Jr., informs me that he has observed one 

 individual near Calumet Lake. I have noticed a small form of 

 this genus passing overhead which must belong either to 

 hutchinsii or to minima. While I have no record of the taking 

 of this species in our territory, there can be no doubt that these 

 geese at least pass over the Calumet region during their journeys. 



Though the range of this species includes North America in 

 general, it breeds only in the Arctic regions and passes south in 

 winter chiefly through the western United States and the Missis- 

 sippi Valley. 



Branta bernicla (Linnaeus). Brant. 



Anas ternicla LlNN.«:us, S. N., ed. 10, I, 1758, 124. 



Anser bernicla Illig., Prodr., 1811, 277. 



Branta iernicla ScopoLi, Ann. I. Hist. Nat., 1769, 67. 



Popular synonyms: Bbant Goose. Brent Goose. Common Bbant. 



The only record that I have found regarding the occurrence 

 of the Brant within our limits is that of Mr. Robert Kennicott, 

 who gives it in his list of Cook County Birdsf without comment. 

 In his introduction to this list, he says, "Nearly all. the species 



•Birds of Northeastern Illinois. Bull, of the Essex Institute, Vol. VIII, 1876, 138 



t Birds of Illinois, Vol. II, pt. 1, 1895, 122. 



JTrans. of the Illinois State Agri. Soc, Vol. I, 1853-1854, 588. 



