280 



ORDERS OF BIRDS— DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 



collection of names. It nests in hollow trees, 

 near good fishing-grounds, and whenever it 

 makes its summer camp near a trout stream, 

 the fry fare badly. 



The Geese. — Those who have not looked 

 into the subject usually are surprised to find 

 what a fine collection of geese is found in North 

 America. The continent is so large it requires 

 an effort to come in touch with representatives 

 of all the species of wild-geese which inhabit 

 it. While they are somewhat lacking in the 

 fine coloring that characterizes a few foreign 

 species, such as the spur-winged goose of Africa, 



CANADA GOOSE. 



they form, as a whole, a highly interesting group, 

 well worth the acquaintance of all Americans 

 save the market-hunters, and others who shoot 

 not wisely but too well. 



Fortunately for those who live where wild- 

 geese dare not show themselves for fear of being 

 killed, all these species take kindly to captivity, 

 and are easily kept in parks and zoological 

 gardens. In 1903, five species were living 

 quite contentedly in the New York Zoological 

 Park. 



In writing of geese, we would not think of 

 mentioning any species ahead of our old favor- 

 ite and most faithful friend, the Canada 



Goose. 1 Where is the country dweller who has 

 not heard, far aloft, the well-known trumpet 

 "Honk," and the prompt answers all down the 

 two lines as the V-shaped flock winged swiftly 

 forward? In the raw, windy days at winter's 

 end, from the Gulf to Hudson Bay, the old 

 gander's cry is accepted as a guarantee of spring, 

 and hailed with joy. Dull indeed is the mind 

 that is not moved to wonder and admiration 

 by the remarkable V-formation in which the 

 wild-goose flock cleaves the air. 



Although wild-geese in transit through the 

 Mississippi valley frequently alighted in corn- 

 fields to rest and feed, as a rule they were so 

 wary and wide-awake it was next to impossible 

 to bag one. In Minnesota and the Dakotas, 

 however, they often flocked on the ground in 

 such numbers that goose-shooting was as regular 

 a sport as chicken-shooting, and during a brief 

 period- of slaughter yielded weighty results. 

 Thousands of geese alighting in cornfields to 

 feed have been shot from the interior of innocent- 

 looking corn-shocks. 



The Canada Goose is not only the largest of 

 the wild-geese of North America, but also the 

 most important and valuable member of the 

 group. There are times, also, when it seems 

 to be the most savory bird that finds its way 

 to the platter. One of those times was when 

 a flock alighted near our camp, on the ice of 

 the Musselshell, in Montana, the day before 

 a certain whizzing cold Thanksgiving, and a 

 fat young gander was shot, and beautifully 

 roasted over the camp-fire in a large Dutch 

 oven. 



In captivity the Canada Goose is an all- 

 around philosopher; and even when wild, he 

 often knows a good thing when he sees it. In 

 October, 1901, a flock of nine geese flying south- 

 ward over the New York Zoological Park sud- 

 denly espied our flock of the same species on 

 the Aquatic Mammals' Pond. Without a 

 moment's hesitation, the wild-birds sailed down 

 and alighted on the shore beside their relatives, 

 and invited themselves to the banquet of 

 cracked corn. 



On the following day, Mr. H. R. Mitchell 

 coaxed seven of the visitors into a huge wire 

 cage that was set up on the shore, where they 



1 Bran'ta canadensis. Average length, about 35 

 inches; but individuals vary greatly in size. 



