GEESE 67 



ceived from two observers indicate that the bird probably 

 occurs casually in Alabama. Frank King, of Leighton, in 

 May, 1912, repeatedly saw four strange geese grazing in a 

 pasture close to the Tennessee River at the foot of Muscle 

 Shoals. His description of the birds as "solid blue" in color 

 agrees well with the young plumage of this species, and could 

 not well apply to any other goose. They were observed in 

 the same pasture on a number of different days, the last time 

 on May 8. They did not seem to be very wild, but when 

 frightened would fly over the shoals and in a short while 

 return. In November, 1914, Charles N. Hinderer killed a 

 strange goose near Montgomery, which he describes as fol- 

 lows: "Head, white; back, gray; breast, white; feet, red." 

 This description, apparently, could apply to no other goose 

 known from this region. 



[WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: Anser albifrons gamhelli Hartlaub. 



The white-fronted goose, which winters in the whole southern half of 

 the United States, and south to Cuba and northern Mexico, probably 

 occurs occasionally on the coast of Alabama.] 



CANADA GOOSE ; WILD GOOSE : Branta canadensis 

 canadensis (Linnaeus) . 



State records. — The Canada goose occurs not uncommonly 

 as a winter resident in Alabama, arriving from the north 

 during October and returning about the middle of March. It 

 is probably most abundant on the Tennessee River in the 

 vicinity of Muscle Shoals and many are shot in that locality 

 every winter. In the fall of 1915 they were unusually com- 

 mon, and on November 4, when I first visited the Shoals, I 

 saw about 400 geese in flocks of 40 to 100 or more. This is a 

 favorite feeding ground for them and many roost at night on 

 the rocks in the shoals. On a second visit to this locality, on 

 December 19, 1915, smaller numbers were observed, probably 

 not over a hundred. 



In December, 1911, a wild goose became entangled in a wire 

 fence on Richard King's plantation, bordering on Tennessiee 

 River, north of Leighton. It was captured and kept in cap- 

 tivity for several months, and finally was preserved as a 



