200 University of Calif orma Publications in Zoology ["Vol. 24 



Branta canadensis occidentalis (Baird). White-cheeked Goose 



We were told of the occasional, though rare, occurrence of geese 

 as far up the river as Telegraph Creek, but it seems doubtful that 

 birds seen so far inland should be occidentaUs. In our ascent of the 

 Stikine River, May 21 and 22, flocks of geese, presumably of this sub- 

 species, were seen at intervals about as far up as Great Glacier. None 

 was seen by us during the summer any farther inland. When we 

 camped at Great Glacier in August, we found an abundance of old 

 ' ' sign ' ' of the presence of geese, many droppings on the sand bars about 

 some shallow ponds, and the marks of webbed feet in sticky mud that 

 had since remained undisturbed. The geese themselves had probably 

 not visited the place for many weeks. These ponds, in a sheltered 

 location, apparently received a maximum of sunshine early in the 

 summer, and were correspondingly attractive to the birds at that time. 



In our descent of the river, the first white-cheeked geese were seen 

 at the boundary, August 16. From there on down an occasional small 

 flock was noted, but not until the mouth of the river was reached were 

 they seen in any numbers. At Sergief Island they were abundant. 

 Flocks of large size frequented the marshes at that point, changing 

 their feeding ground as the tides advanced and receded. These local 

 movements covered but a few miles at most, and, of course, were gone 

 through with daily as regularly as the tides. Aside from this hourly 

 shifting, which kept some flocks on the wing practically throughout 

 the day, there was no appearance of migration. Flocks of white- 

 cheeked geese were never seen to depart in a manner suggestive of the 

 beginning of a long flight, no* were any seen arriving as though from 

 a distance. 



During the last two weeks in August the geese were still molting 

 extensively. In some the breast and belly were almost entirely devoid 

 of feathers, only the down remaining, and nearly all were renewing 

 the tail feathers. Flight feathers were fully grown, or at any rate 

 sufficiently so for flying. Presumably the birds would not gather 

 upon these open and exposed marshes until they could fly ; nesting and 

 the beginning of the molt, including loss of the remiges, probably takes 

 place in more sheltered localities. 



Five specimens of white-cheeked geese were preserved, an adult 

 male and adult' female saved entire (nos. 39708-39709), and two males 

 and a female (nos. 39710-39712), of which head and neck only were 

 preserved. Four of the flve specimens preserved have more or less 



