Birds. 



7833 



the extensive marshes of the sea-coast, and on the mossy barrens of 

 the Chipewyan and Esquimaux lands. During the winter, like other 

 species, it takes refuge in the more temperate portions of the country, 

 courting always open water. I have seen a flock in the strong open 

 current of the St. Lawrence, above Lachine, near Montreal, in the 

 month of January or February ; but such an occurrence is rare. In 

 this latitude — say 45° west of the Rocky Mountains, but especially on 

 the coast of the Pacific — they are plentiful during the whole winter, 

 in mild seasons. Before Oregon was settled by the Americans the 

 Hudson's Bay Company's post of Fort Vancouver used to be supplied 

 by Indian hunters with gray geese, large and small, as well as with 

 occasional swans and white geese ; and this at times so liberally that 

 a day's rations twice a week could be furnished to an establishment 

 of thirty to forty men. Some of these geese had been killed by the 

 bow and arrow. This game formed our best rations, but it was sel- 

 dom in such condition as it is to be had in the north after it has 

 enjoyed a week or two on the feeding-grounds. I have no doubt that 

 the great mass of the gray geese pass their winter to the south of the 

 Platte waters, in the swamps of Florida and the Lower Mississippi, 

 and on the waters of the western side of the continent, towards their 

 outlets into the Pacific. Now that the rifle and fusee have been 

 introduced so plentifully into California and Oregon, it is to be 

 feared that the numbers of the larger wild fowl will decrease rapidly. 

 The bow and arrow formerly thinned them considerably ; now, with 

 an increasing population, the gun will have more fatal effect. 



The lesser gray goose {Anser Hutchinsii) arrives, in subarctic 

 regions, later than the other, and about the same time as the snow 

 goose [A. hyperboreas). They are shot occasionally in the interior 

 when they alight, and in considerable numbers at Albany, and else- 

 where along the coast of James's and Hudson's Bays. Unlike the 

 large gray goose, it can scarcely be said that they incubate in a scat- 

 tered and detached manner over the whole extent of the wooded 

 country ; they rather proceed in large and united bands, keeping a 

 lofty flight, and making few stoppages until they reach the coast. 

 On arrival there, about the beginning of May, they immediately com- 

 mence feeding in the salt-marshes, on the soft white rooted grasses, 

 continuing to do so for a fortnight or three weeks, and at last be- 

 coming quite plump, and capital subjects for the table. When fully 

 in good plight, they take their departure for more arctic regions, at 

 nearly the same time as the snow geese, not to appear again until they 

 return with their young broods in the month of September. These 

 VOL. XX. C 



