BIEDS OF NOETHERN CANADA 321 



17la. American White-fkonted Goose — Anser alhifrons 

 gambeli (Hartl.). 



This fine goose is fairly abundant some seasons at Fort 

 Chipe-n-yan, and quite a large number of them are shot in 

 spring and autumn. At Fort Anderson a considerable num- 

 ber of eggs were collected in the early sixties of the last 

 century. The minimum was four, and the maximum seven 

 eggs in a nest, which was similarly built to that of other 

 geese. An incidental experience may be quoted here : " On 

 5th July, 1864, on our way back from Franklin Bay, we 

 observed thirty moulting ganders of this species on a small 

 lake in the ' Barrens.' Our party of twenty divided, and 

 by loud shouting and throwing stones at them they were 

 compelled to land, where twenty-seven were run down 

 and captured. Their flesh proved excellent eating, — it is 

 seldom, indeed, that one comes across a gray wavey that 

 is not in good condition in the far north." A clutch of four 

 eggs in Mr. Kaine's collection was taken on an island in 

 Mackenzie Bay, west of the Mackenzie River, June 5th, 

 1895. The nest consisted of a hollow in the sand lined with 

 down. 



The breeding range of this goose is the whole of the 

 north-western part of the American continent. 



There is but one representative skin of this species, shot 

 at the Red Deer River, Alberta, September 12th, 1896, by 

 Mr. Dippie, in the Dominion Collection at Ottawa, and not 

 a single egg is to be found there ! 



172. Canada Goose — Brenta canadensis (Linn.). 



A set of identified eggs from Fort Providenoe, Mackenzie 

 River, was forwarded to Mr. Dalgleish, summer 1886. An- 

 other set of three eggs was sent to Washington. Rare in 

 northern British Columbia, but tolerably numerous in Cum- 

 berland District. At Fort Chipewyan the Canada goose 

 used to be very abundant annually in the spring and autumn, 

 but it breeds throughout the entire wooded continent, from 



