DEPARTMENT OF AMERICAN AVICULTURE. 



Edited by C. William Beebe, 

 Curator of Birds. 



FULL LENGTH VIEW OF THE DUCK AND SWAN ENCLOSURE. 



BREEDING CANADA WILD GEESE ON 

 CHINCOTEAGUE ISLAND, VA. 



By C. William Beebe. 



INDUSTRIES connected with semi-wild birds 

 are becoming more and more important every 

 day. We have large Pheasant hatcheries 

 which have been installed in many states during 

 the last few years, while the providing of suit- 

 able nesting sites for Eider Ducks has been in 

 practice for many years in different places. As 

 far as I know the only successful example of 

 raising Canada Wild Geese for their feathers, is 

 to be found on the estate of Mr. J. W. Wheal- 

 ton on a good-sized island off the coast of Vir- 

 ginia, close to the Maryland line. 



Chincoteague Island is about seven by two 

 and a half miles in size, with a soil which is 

 sandy but fertile. Low ridges run parallel to 

 the coast, separated from each other by marshes, 

 while a central depression filled with salt water 

 extends transversely across the center of the 

 island. There is considerable scrub pine and 

 cedar growth with some underbrush, the trees 

 and bushes being found mostly upon the ridges. 

 Much of the island, however, is open and 

 marshy. Mink are very abundant and destruc- 

 tive, and while Foxes are also common they 

 seem to do little harm. 



More than fifty years ago Mr. Whealton ob- 

 tained a pair of wing-tipped wild geese. 

 These, however, showing no signs of breeding, 

 he disposed of, and purchased a second pair 

 which had been raised in captivity. These were 

 the nucleus of his present flock which now num- 

 bers about 450 birds. There has been no in- 

 breeding as new blood has been constantly 

 added by the capture of wing-tipped wild gan- 

 ders every year or two. At times wild birds 

 have come in from the bay with the tame ones, 

 and fed with them for several days. Great ef- 

 fort is made to get the big leaders of the flocks. 

 Wild ganders breed at once, but it is years be- 

 fore the wild geese will consent to lay. Mr. 

 Whealton's geese are divided into flocks of from 

 four to fifty birds, running wild on this and 

 several adjacent islands. All are pinioned when 

 small goslings. 



There is considerable population on Chinco- 

 teague, but the geese do no damage and the fact 

 that they are all the property of Mr. Whealton is 

 known to everyone. The geese rarely die from 

 disease, although a few succumb to pneumonia. 

 Negroes steal a small number, but the greatest 

 loss is from dogs which kill quantities of the 

 geese every year. In 1908 no fewer than twen- 

 ty-six dogs were killed in the very act of slaugh- 

 tering the geese. 



