The White-fronted Geese 



for the grain man to herd them from his fields, and the settlers of those 

 days tell of the millions of geese which annually wintered in California. 

 Some authorities believe that there is hardly one goose now to one hun- 

 dred which were formerly to be seen. Even decimated as they are, geese 

 still congregate in numbers in certain localities, and goose-hunting remains 

 a favorite sport. Five different varieties of geese are sometimes seen in 

 one bag, an unheard-of thing in other states! 



When the geese first arrive in the fall, and again when they leave in 

 the spring, a constant stream of wedge-shaped flocks pass overhead ; and 

 even at night, if the moon be shining, the calls of passing flocks may be 

 noted. Some large gander is usually in the lead, and seldom is the pace- 

 maker seen to be relieved by a companion. 



Easily picked out among feeding flocks of geese are the gray ones with 

 orange-colored legs and feet, and breasts blotched with black. A closer 



WHITE-FRONTED GEESE AND SNOW GEESE 



Photo by F. H. Holmes 



view discloses the white forehead, giving rise to the name white-fronted 

 goose. The loud harsh calls are stated by hunters to be of a peculiar quality, 

 and to resemble the syllable "wah," and the Indians are said to imitate 



1854 



