37 
assumed until after the second summer. Minima probably occasionally 
crosses with adjacent races with which it comes in breeding contact. 
Whether the results of these matings are intergrades or hybrids depends 
on whether the difference between the races is regarded as subspecific or 
specific. 
Distribution. Breeding on the Bering seacoast of Alaska and the 
Aleutian islands, migrating down the Pacific coast to California. Never 
appearing far inland or east of the mountains. 
Branta hutchinsi (Richardson) 
Richardson’s Goose 
(Ail but one of these are breeding birds or taken on the known breeding grounds of 
its race. The single Southampton Island bird is also probably a breeder.) 
Museum 
number 
Sex 
Age 
Mid 
toe 
and 
claw 
Tar- 
sus 
Toe 
into 
tar- 
sus 
Cul- 
men 
Depth 
ol 
bill 
Depth 
into 
cul- 
men 
Wing 
wt. 
Mm. 
Mm. 
Mm. 
Mm. 
Mm. 
Mm. 
Mm. 
Lbs. 
21108 
Cape Dorset, Baffin is., July 
20, 
1926 
<? 
Ad.B. 
58 
67 
115 
35 
20 
1-75 
370 
23631 
Camp Kungovik, 
southwest Baffin is., June 
14, 
1929 
9 
Ad. 
60 
67 
1-11 
31 
17 
1-82 
365 
23632 
“ “ June 
15. 
1929 
? 
Ad. 
63 
70 
Ml 
34 
20 
1-70 
365 
23636 
" “ June 
16, 
1929 
9 
Ad. 
60 
69 
1-15 
31 
19 
1-63 
390 
4 
23638 
“ “ Juno 
18, 
1929 
d” 
Ad. 
59 
68 
1-15 
34 
21 
1-62 
365 
23643 
“ “ June 
26, 
1929 
9 
Ad. 
60 
68 
M3 
31 
20 
1 -55 
350 
23645 
“ “ July 
2. 
1929 
Ad.B. 
59 
68 
1-15 
31 
20 
1-55 
380 
3t 
6727 
Southampton is., Hudson bay. 
1904 
? 
Ad. 
60 
69 
1-15 
30 
17 
1-76 
345 
Average 
59-87 
68*12 
M3 
32-12 
19-25 
1-67 
362-5 
Ad. =* Adult. B. “Breeding. 
Subspecific Characters. Very small size and light breast and under- 
body. A diminutive edition of leucopareia and canadensis and bearing 
the same relation in colour to minima that canadensis does to occidentalis. 
Probably only distinguishable from minima by colour, but widely separated 
from it in range. Wing 380 mm. or under. Culmen 35 mm. or less. 
Bill short and stubby, the depth going into the length from 1*55 to 1*82, 
averaging 1-67 times instead of 1*88 as in leucopareia. Foot even smaller 
in proportion to tarsus than in that species, the middle toe and claw con- 
tained in the tarsus from 1-11 to 1*15, averaging 1 * 13 times. Weight 
taken from various sources, some our own weighings, but principally from 
figures on Iowa migrants furnished by R. M. Anderson, usually about 
3f pounds. Rarely as much as 5 pounds. 
Distribution. Found breeding commonly and eggs collected on the 
Foxe Basin coast of southwestern Baffin island by Soper in 1929. Mr. 
S. G. Ford of the Hudson’s Bay Company writing to Mr. F. H. Kennard 
from Coral harbour, Southampton island, under date of July 23, 1925, 
describes a small goose with black head and neck, white cheek patches 
meeting under the throat, and weighing 3| pounds, as breeding there. 
Specimen 6727 in the above list corroborates the identification. Richard- 
son’s type specimen was taken on Melville peninsula directly north of 
this island. 
