HUTCHINS GOOSE 233 



the herring spawn which is found adhering to rocks along the beaches 

 which become exposed at low tide (Grinnell, 19096, p. 198). 



The Hutchins Goose, although not quite so desirable a bird for 

 the table as are some other species, is the goose which has afforded 

 the greatest- amount of sport for the hunter because of its abundance. 

 It has usually been a common goose on the market, where it is known 

 as the ' ' Brant. ' ' In 1909-10 one transfer company in San Francisco 

 sold the following numbers of Brant: October, 1,442; November, 

 2,196; December, 1,592; January, 1,479; February, 1,226; March, 

 251. Cackling as well as Hutchins Geese are probably included in 

 these numbers. This makes a total of over 8,000 geese of only two 

 varieties sold by the one transfer company. That season the same 

 company sold more than 20,000 geese of all kinds. In 1906-07 it 

 sold only 7,431. In 1895-96 there were sold on the markets of San 

 Francisco and Los Angeles 48,400 geese of which 16,319 were 

 Brant (Calif. Fish Comm., 1896, p. 42). There is little wonder that 

 geese have decreased in numbers more than most other game birds. 

 The markets of San Francisco during 1910-11 paid from $2.50 to $8.00 

 a dozen for geese other than the Snow Geese. On the Los Angeles 

 markets during 1912-13 the same geese sold at from sixty-five cents 

 to one dollar a pair. 



Two things make geese less desirable than ducks for the table. 

 One is the relatively strong flavor and the other is the dryness of the 

 meat. Certain people in the state have discovered a way of making 

 a goose palatable no matter how tough it may be or how strong its 

 flavor. The bird is prepared by skinning, as much of the strong 

 taste comes from the skin. The flesh is then ground up with fresh 

 pork, and a game sausage is made. A few pieces of bacon laid over a 

 goose while roasting also serves to remove some of the strong taste and 

 add flavor to the meat. 



The following extract from one of the many letters which we have 

 received gives a good idea of the immense decrease of this and other 

 geese in different parts of the state. 



Where years ago there would be ' ' settings ' ' of geese covering as much as 

 200 acres,- and where the farmers around would furnish a man with horse, board, 

 ammunition, and $20 a month to keep geese off of his grain, it is now rare to 

 see more than 10 to 15 per cent of the former numbers (H. F. Duprey, Dixon, 

 California, March 11, 1913). 



Tyler (1913&, p. 19) says: 



Ten years ago when much of the country northeast of Fresno was given 

 over to grain ranches these geese were seen very often and were sometimes 

 noted in large numbers during late March when the spring migrations began; 

 but during the last four or five years I have not seen half a dozen flocks any- 

 where east of the city. 



