76 



among the flocks which, had been wintering there. But all this move- 

 ment was cut short by the cold of February and the first week of March. 

 During the rest of February there was but little movement and no real 

 progress. Geese were reported during February from Richmond, Iowa, 

 Osceola, 111., and Linwood, Nebr., but were not noted from neighbor- 

 ing stations, and were not followed by more until March. They must 

 be considered as irregular migrants possessed of more ambition than 

 brains. 



The real migratory movement dates from February 26. On this day 

 the regular migrants began to pass over Eagle Pass, Tex., and the great 

 bulk began to leave southern Louisiana. This wave reached Caddo, 

 Ind. Ter., March 3 ; Darlington, Ind. Ter., March 5, and latitude 39° in 

 Missouri and Illinois about the 10th. From this parallel northward the 

 advance will be traced along the three lines of migration : east and 

 w r est of the Mississippi, and along the prairie region. March 13 the 

 flight advanced to latitude 41° 36' in Illinois; March 15 to latitude 31° 

 51' at Chicago, where a flock of over a thousand was seen flying east, 

 probably aiming for the open waters of the lake ; March 16 to latitude 

 41° 58' in Illinois, and latitude 42° 37' in Wisconsin ; March 20 and 21 

 to latitude 43° 02', 43° 06', and 43° 47' in Wisconsin. West of the Mis- 

 sissippi the record reads : March 13 the advance was at latitude 41° 

 05', and latitude 41° 19' in Iowa ; March 12 it was at latitude 41° 38' 

 and 41° 42' in Iowa; March 14 at latitude 41° 40' and latitude 42° 01' 

 in Iowa; March 15 at latitude 42° and 42° 55' in Iowa. Hence it ap- 

 pears that from the 12th to the loth of March many Geese were passing 

 through central Iowa. March 20 they were reported at latitude 43° 19' 

 in Iowa ; March 22 at latitude 43° 43' in Minnesota ; and March 23 at 

 latitude 44° 47', 45° 05', and 45° 25' in Minnesota, and at Portage la 

 Prairie, Manitoba (latitude 50°). 



On the prairies the notes indicate arrivals, March 13, at latitude 42° 

 56', in Dakota ; March 20, at latitude 44° 15', 44° 21', and 46°, in Dakota ; 

 March 24, at latitude 46° 5S / and 47° 52', in Dakota; and April 3, at 

 Two Rivers, Manitoba, latitude 49° 28'. 



The bulk passed through northern Illinois about March 19, through 

 southern Wisconsin March 23, and the middle of the State March 27. 

 It crossed Iowa from March 20 to March 22, and reached central Min- 

 nesota about the 1st of April. Still further west the bulk came to 

 latitude 39°, in Kansas, about the middle of March, passed through Ne- 

 braska the 18th to 20th, and was uniformly reported in Dakota, up to 

 latitude 46°, on March 24: and then, as if delayed by the April storms, 

 was not given at latitude 46° 58', in Dakota, until April 22. The bulk 

 left southern Wisconsin about April 1, and Kansas the first week of the 

 month. We can not help envying Mr. Powell, who writes, that April 

 11 they were gradually leaving Alda, Nebr., after coining all in a bunch, 

 and that he killed forty in one day over decoys in the Platte river. 



