304 



NOETH AMEKICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. 



Macouii records that a specimen was shot on Red Deer River. Al- 

 berta, September 12. 1896, b}' Dippie." Reed records eggs taken on 

 an island in the delta of the Mackenzie Jnne 10, 1899, by I. O. 

 Stringer.^ Seton noted the bird on Aylmer Lake, August 15, 1907.^ 



Branta canadensis (Linn.). Canada Goose. 



This wide-ranging species breeds in- suitable places throughout 

 the wooded portion of the region and constitutes an important 

 article of food of the inhabitants. It is the earliest goose to arrive 

 in spring, and its advent marks a welcome break in the monotonous 

 winter bill of fare. Though associatinp- with the smaller Hutchins 

 goose during the latter part of the migrating season, it usually 

 arrives before that form. The records of spring arrival of ' geese ' 

 or ' Canada geese ' refer almost exclusively to this species, the others 

 being designated by different names. 



In 1901 we observed migrating flocks at Sturgeon River, AJberta, 

 May 1 ; on the Athabaska. 50 miles below Athabaska Landing, May 7 ; 

 and on the lower Athabaska May 17. AAliile at our various camps 

 in the vicinity of Fort Chipewj^an, May 18 to June 5, we occasionally 

 saw small flocks, and we started a very large one on the Quatre 

 Fourches marsh Ma}^ 23. A^liile descending Slave River we saw a 

 pair a short distance above Smith Landing June 13, and observed 

 small flocks at Smith Landing June 16 and 17, and at Fort Smith 

 June 19. "While on our way to Great Slave Lake we saw several 

 females with 3^oung the size of teals on the lower Slave on July 3. 

 Later we saw small flocks at Fort Resolution July 8, and at the 

 mouth of Slave River July 9. ^Ylien we were ascending the Atha- 

 baska on our return trip a small flock was seen below Grand Rapids 

 August 20. 



In the spring of 1903 we first noted the Canada goose on the Atha- 

 baska, 50 miles below Athabaska Landing, on May 17, noting a 

 small flock. We noted a few on the lower Athabaska May 31, and 

 several near the mouth of the river June 1. We saw it next on Slave 

 River, near Smith Landing, June 10. Small flocks were seen on 

 lower Slave River on June 17 and 19, and a few at Fort Resolution 

 June 22, 23, and 24. During m}^ trip northward from Fort Rae I 

 observed it on but one occasion, noting a small flock just south of 

 MacTavish Bay on August 24. 



In the spring of 1904 the first goose was reported at Fort Simpson 

 April 22, and the next Ajoril 26. The sj)ecies was common by May 3, 

 and large flocks passed northward dail}^ from this date on. T^^iile 



'^Cat. Canadian Birds. Part I, p. 118, 1900. 

 ^ N. A. Birds' Eggs, p. 84, 1904. 

 cAuk, XXV, p. 70, 1908. 



