238 THE AMERICAN WILD GOOSE. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



The American wild geese, in a state of nature, make 

 their semi-annual migrations from the north to the 

 south, and vice versa, which are sure signals of the 

 approach of winter, or a returning spring. The tracts 

 of their vast migratory journeys are not confined to the 

 sea coast nor its vicinity, for in their aerial voyages to 

 and from the north, these birds pass over the interior on 

 both sides of the mountains, as far west at least as the 

 Osage River. " I have never," says Wilson, " yet visited 

 any quarter of the country where the inhabitants are 

 not familiarly acquainted with the regular passing and 

 repassing of the wild geese." It is an opinion with 

 many that they visit the lakes to breed. Most, however, 

 it would appear, wing their way much farther north- 

 ward ; for, from the Canadian lakes, they migrate to still 

 higher latitudes on the setting in of spring. Hearne 

 saw them in large flocks within the arctic circle, push- 

 ing their way still northward. Captain Phipps observed 

 them on the coast of Spitzbergen in latitude 80°27'N. 

 Audubon found them breeding on the coast of Labrador, 

 and states that the eggs, six or seven in number, of a 

 greenish white, are deposited in a roughly-made nest. 

 Bonaparte states that they breed everywhere through- 

 out the Hudson's Bay Territory, and have been observed 

 in the middle of July on the Coppermine River, not 

 far from its debouchure, accompanied by their newly- 

 hatched young. 



The destruction of the Canada geese during their 

 migrations is enormous ; the autumnal flight lasts from 

 the middle of August to the middle of November. Those 

 which are taken in this season, when the frosts begin, 

 are preserved in their feathers, and left to be frozen for 

 the fresh provisions of the winter stock. The feathers 

 constitute an article of commerce, and are sent to 

 England. The vernal flight of these geese lasts from 

 the middle of April until the middle of May. Their 

 arrival in the fur countries, from the south, is impatiently 

 expected ; it is the harbinger of spring, and the month is 

 named by the Indians the " goose moon." 



