ROSS SNOW GOOSE. 69 



rarely or casually to the eastward in the Bahamas (Inagua), Cuba, 

 Florida (Tortugas); North Carolina (near Fort Macon); Pennsylvania 

 (near Pittsburg, 1887); New Jersey, New York (Shinnecock Bay, Long 

 Island); Rhode Island (Newport, October 16, 1892); Massachusetts 

 (Gloucester, October 20, 1876); New Hampshire (Lake Umbagog, 

 October 2, 1896); Ohio (Oberlin, October 28, 1896; Columbus, October 

 28, 1876); Ontario (Ottawa, October .11, 1886; Gravenhurst, 1886). 

 Apparently the only record west of the Rocky Mountains is that of 

 two taken near Stockton, Cal., about February 1, 1892. 



Spring migration. — Not many notes on the migration of this species 

 are available. The few records indicate that the van moves across the 

 central Mississippi Valley during the latter half of March and crosses 

 to Manitoba the last of April or early May. 



The blue goose seems to be exceptional in the selection of its migra- 

 tion route. The general trend of migration among waterfowl in North 

 America is northwest and southeast. The blue goose apparently breeds 

 entirely east of Hudson Bay and winters for the most part west of 

 the Mississippi River, so that its spring migration flight is toward, the 

 northeast, across at least 20 degrees of longitude. At this season the 

 large flocks pass north along the eastern side of James Bay, these 

 flocks occasionally containing a few snow geese; while the enormous 

 flocks of the latter that migrate north along the west side of James 

 Bay are accompanied by a few blue geese. 



Fall migration. — The above dates of occurrences outside of the 

 normal range show that the fall migration is chiefly southward across 

 the eastern United States and that it occurs in October. 



Chen rossii (Cassin). ■ Ross Snow Goose. 



Breeding range. — The nest and eggs of this goose are still unknown, 

 and there is no summer record of the species. The westernmost 

 arctic locality known is Fort Anderson, and it ranges thence east to 

 Hudson Bay. It is rare at each of these extremes, and the natural 

 supposition is that the breeding grounds are to the north of the inter- 

 vening district, that is, between the meridians- of 100° and 120° west 

 longitude. Observations on the birds of this region have been made by 

 several observers, but they seem not to have distinguished this small 

 white species from the larger snow goose. 



Winter range. — The present known winter home of the Ross goose 

 is California, where it occurs along the coast south to Orange County 

 (Newport), and north to Stockton and the San Joaquin Valley. One 

 was taken at Comox, British Columbia, January, 1894, but this occur- 

 rence was probably accidental. A pair was seen and one taken at 

 Bustillos LaKe, Chihuahua, also probably accidental. 



Migration range. — The path of migration of this goose seems to be 

 different from that of any other species. It is a fair presumption that 



