duck. 239 



passing" on each side upwards to the hindhead; breast, upper part of 

 the belly, back, and wing coverts dusky brown; lower part of the 

 neck and belly, vent, and upper tail coverts, white; quills and tail 

 black ; legs dark lead-colour. Both sexes alike in plumage. 



Inhabits North America. Found in the summer in Hudson's 

 Bay, and parts beyond; also in Greenland. Numbers breed in Hud- 

 son's Bay, and lay six or seven eggs, but the greater part retire still 

 farther north ; they appear first in the Bay, from about the middle 

 of April to the middle of May,- when the inhabitants wait for them 

 with expectation, being one of the chief articles of food ; and in some 

 years kill three or four thousands, which are salted, and barrelled. 

 The Indians, and frequently the servants of the English, form a row 

 of huts, made of boughs, at a musquet-shot distance each, across 

 the parts they are expected to pass ; and as the flocks fly over, they 

 mimic their noise so well, as to stop the Geese in their flight; when 

 each person, having two guns, fires the first, and directly after the 

 second ; by this means a good marksman has killed 100 in a day; 

 but in this spot they must be cautious to secrete themselves, for the 

 birds are very shy, and on the least motion, fly off directly. On their 

 return south, which is from the middle of August to the middle of 

 October, much havoc is again made of them ; but these are preserved 

 fresh for winter store, by putting them, unplucked, into a large hole 

 in the ground, and covering them with mould ; and these, during 

 the continuance of the frost, are found perfectly sweet and good. 

 They are called by the Indians, at Hudson's Bay, Apistishish. 



They sometimes proceed as far south as Carolina and Georgia ; 

 come to the latter the end of October and November, and their 

 appearance reckoned a sign of cold weather ; they frequent ponds 

 during the winter, but in much fewer numbers than formerly, being 

 too much disturbed, in proportion as the country becomes more 

 populous. Mr. Abbot, who resides at Savannah, tells me, that 

 they sometimes frequent Flint River, in great abundance. 



* The month in which the G«ese appear, is called by the Indians, Goose-month. 



