68 NORTH AMERICAN DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS. 



turn to the northwestward and breed for the most part on Victoria 

 Land. 



Winter range. — During winter the greater snow goose has occurred 

 in Cuba, Isle of Pines, Jamaica, and Porto Rico. Sometimes it has 

 appeared in Cuba in quite large numbers. It is not usually common 

 anywhere south of North Carolina. On this coast and as far as 

 Chesapeake Bay it is not rare; a few are found in winter even as far 

 north as Massachusetts. There is no sharply defined line in the Mis- , 

 sissippi Valley between the winter ranges of the greater and the lesser 

 forms. In general the greater snow goose is the more common east 

 of the Mississippi River, and winters from southern Illinois to the 

 Gulf. 



Spring migration. — Throughout North America, north of Virginia 

 and east of the immediate vicinity of Hudson Bay, the greater snow 

 goose is a rare visitant; most of the spring dates in this region fall 

 between March 20 and April 10. In the Mississippi Valley migration 

 begins in February, and the first migrants appear north of the winter 

 range early in March; the average date of arrival in central Iowa is 

 March 22, and in northern Iowa March 26; southern Minnesota is 

 reached April 6, southern Manitoba April 22, and in 1904 the first were 

 noted in northern Hudson Bay June 4. The last leave the Gulf coast 

 about the 1st of April; the average date for eleven years of the last 

 seen at Aweme, Manitoba, is May 15, and the latest date May 20, 1903. 



Fall migration. — One of the earliest dates of arrival of this species 

 in New England is October 2, 1896, at Lake Umbagog; there are a 

 few other October dates for New England. About the middle of 

 October the earliest migrants appear on Chesapeake Bay, and the last 

 of the month they arrive in Cuba and have been recorded in the 

 Bermudas. In the fall the average date of arrival at Aweme, Mani- 

 toba, is September 28, and the earliest September 24, 1901; central 

 Iowa is reached October 17, and the Gulf coast the last of the month. 

 The average date of the last seen in the fall at Aweme, Manitoba, is 

 October 20 (latest October 31, 1900). 



Chen caerulescens (Linn. t . Blue Goose. 



Breeding range. — According to reports of Indians the blue goose 

 nests in the interior of northern Ungava, but the nest and eggs are 

 unknown to science, and there is no record of the presence of the birds 

 anywhere in summer. During migration the species has been noted 

 as an occasional visitant as far west as the western shore of Hudson 

 Bay in the vicinity of Fort Churchill and east to New Hampshire. 



Winter range. — The lower portion of the Mississippi Valley, princi- 

 pally west of the river, seems to be the winter home of this rather 

 rare goose. It is not uncommon on the Gulf coast of Louisiana and 

 Texas, and north to Nebraska and southern Illinois. It has occurred 



