180 



COMMON WILD GOOSE— WHITE-COLLARED GOOSE— HUTCHINS' GOOSE. 



is attested, and it is even stated to have been found in Aus- 

 tralia. It inhabits at different seasons nearly all of North America, 

 and in winter pushes its migration even to Central and South 

 America as well as into the West Indies. But it has not, to my 

 knowledge, been found in the United States west of the Rocky 

 Mountains. It occurs in summer as for north as the Yukon, though 

 thousands of the birds also breed within the limits of the United 

 States. 



" On its presence and movements in the East I have made few 

 observations, and know nothing beyond the general items familiar 

 to all sportsmen who, with good reason, consider the Upland Plover 

 or Grass Plover, as a prime game bird, wild and difficult to secure ; 

 best hunted from a carraige ; and capital for the table. It is said 

 to breed from the Middle districts, as in Illinois and Pennsylvania, 

 northward. The principal shooting is done in August and Sep- 

 tember, as the birds move southward by the end of the latter month. 



"In most parts of the West, between the Mississippi and the 

 Rocky Mountains, this Tattler, commonly known as the ' Prairie 

 Pigeon,' is exceedingly abundant during the migrations — more so 

 than I can suppose it to be in settled portions of the country. In 

 Texas, I am told it occurs in flocks ' of thousands.' In Kansas, 

 during the month of May, it migrates in great numbers, being 

 scattered over the prairies everywhere, and it is so tame that it may 

 be destroyed without the slightest artifice ; I have seen it just es- 

 cape being caught with the crack of a coach-whip. Passing north- 

 ward, it enters Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota the same month. 

 About the middle of May it reaches the latitude of Fort Randall, 

 with great numbers of Golden Plover and Esquimaux Curlew, 

 flecking the prairies everywhere. Its breeding habits may be studied 

 with perfect success in Northern Dakota, where it is the most abun- 

 dant of all the waders. We can scarcely cross a piece of prairie, 

 or travel a mile along the roads anywhere, without seeing it. Its 

 gentle and unsuspicious ways, its slender and graceful shape, and 

 the beauty of its markings, are all alike attractive, while the excel- 

 lence of its flesh is another point not less interesting, but less favor- 

 able for the bird. Too many are destroyed at this season when 

 they are pairing, for few can resist the tempting shots, as the birds 

 step along the road-side or stand erect in the scanty grass, gazing 

 at the passing vehicle with misplaced confidence. By the end of 

 May those that are to breed further north have passed on, while the 

 remainder have paired and are about to nest. 



"As soon as they are mated the pairs keep close company, being 

 rarely beyond each other's call, and are oftenest seen rambling to- 

 gether through the grass. At such times they seem very slender, 

 as indeed they are, overtopping the scanty herbage with their long, 

 thin necks, swaying continually in graceful motion. Their ordi- 

 nary note at this, as at other seasons, is a long-drawn, soft, mellow 

 whistle, of a peculiarly clear, resonant quality ; but beside this, they 

 have a note peculiar, I believe, to this period of their lives. This 

 is a very loud, prolonged cry, sounding more like the whistling of 

 the wind than a bird's voice ; the wild sound, which is strangely 

 mournful, is generally uttered when the bird, just alighted, holds 

 its wings for a moment perpendicularly, before adjusting them over 

 its back. It is frequently heard in the night, all through the breed- 

 ing season, and is, I think, one of the most remarkable outcries I 

 ever heard. There is yet another note that the Tattler utters, 

 chiefly when disturbed breeding : this is a harsh scream, quickly 

 and often repeated, much like that given by other waders under 

 the same circumstances. 



"The food of this Tattler is mainly insects, especially grass- 

 hoppers, of which they must devour enormous quantities in the 

 aggregate. They also feed on other small animal substances, as 

 well as upon various berries. I have found them very well condi- 

 tioned even in the spring, and in the fall they grow surprisingly fat. 

 They are a tender and well-flavored bird. Being so delicate they 

 are easily killed, dropping to a touch of the finest shot. The nest 

 is flimsy, merely a few straws to keep the eggs from the ground, 

 in a slight depression." 



Common Wild Goose ; Canada Goose, or Brant. {Branta canadensis^ 



Fig. ii. 



White-collared Goose. {Branta canadensis, var. leticopareia.) 

 Fig. 12. 



Hutchins' Goose. {Branta canadensis, var. hutchinsii.) 

 Fig. 14. 



The above named Brants are distributed pretty generally over the 

 whole of North America. The White-collared is a variety from 

 the northwest coast. Hutchins' Goose, about the same as the 

 typical bird ; but in winter it is more abundant on the west coast. 



An interesting article in reference to the typical species appeared 

 in the Chicago Field, written by Col. A. G. Brackett, U. S. A., 

 from which we take the following : 



"At certain seasons of the year there are immense flocks of wild 

 geese seen in the mountains, sailing slowly and in a dignified 

 manner through the air, the different members of the flock flying 

 so as to form an acute angle, with some heavy male bird acting as 

 leader. The lines sometimes waver in the air like a huge snake 

 crawling along, and then again are as straight as arrows. During 

 their flight they utter their harsh clanging noise, sounding wild 

 and dreary enough when heard in the evening or during the hours 

 of darkness. They fly over the hills and moorlands, and alight on 

 the lakes where they love to feed in the marshes near by. Their 

 slate-colored bodies, black heads, and white rings round their 

 necks, look beautifully on the waters, where they swim about with 

 the utmost grace. They are as large as tame geese, have black 

 legs, black webbed-feet, and thick, strong plumage. They are 

 easily tamed, when hatched under hens from eggs that have been 

 found near the fen lands, and readily associate with tame geese, 

 being by far the better-behaved of the two, and not making near 

 as much noise as their cousins who have been reared in civilized 

 life. 



" In the autumn months, when the geese are preparing to go 

 south to their winter grounds in the marshes of Louisiana and Ar- 

 kansas, or are on their way thither, the streams and lakes swarm 

 with them. They must feed while on their journey, and for this 

 purpose stop near sunset, and employ their time in filling their 

 crops with insects, fish, grass seed, and grain, wherever they can 

 be found. 



" They sleep by placing their heads under their wing, floating 

 quietly on the surface of the water during the night. If disturbed, 

 they at once take wing, and move off to some more secure place. 

 They are frequently shot while making these journeys, the moun- 

 taineers and hunters always being ready to add a fat wild goose to 

 their store of provisions, after the breeding season is over in the 

 far north. 



"A number of varieties of wild geese have been mentioned by 

 authors, but the one here described is the goose commonly found 

 in the upland regions, where, indeed, no other is ordinarily seen. 

 The male goose, or gander, is said to be very much attached to 

 his mate, and always remains near her when she is sitting on her 

 nest. The stories told of these creatures are singular enough, 

 many of them being no doubt greatly exaggerated. By some na- 

 tions geese have been considered remarkably wise birds, while 

 others believe them to be the embodiment of stupidity. In our 

 own land to call a person a goose is synonymous with calling him 

 an imbecile or an idiot. 



" Mr. Howell says : ' We have made havoc in the ranks of the 

 wild gee^e in the vast corn fields of Illinois. We have taken a 

 stand in the center of a large corn shock, and have seen them 

 come in myriads from the large swamps in the vicinity — always 



