53 
CANADA GOOSE. 
AjY^S CAMaDEJVSIS. 
[Plate LXVIL— Fig. 4.] 
Gmel. S^st.- I, p. 514, No. 14. — VOye sauvage de Canada^ Briss. VI, p. 272, 4, pi 26. 
L'Oie a cravatte^ Buff. IX, p. 82. PL Enl. 346. — Edw. pL 151. — Arct. ZooL No. 471. 
— Catesby, I, pi. 92. — Lath. Syn. Ill, /). 450. — Ind. Orn. p. 838, A'b. 17. — Bewick, 
2, p. 255. — Peale’s Museum^ No. 2704, 
THIS is the common Wild Goose of the United States, known 
over the whole country ; whose regular periodical migrations are 
the sure signals of returning spring, or approaching winter. The 
tracts of their vast migratory journies are not confined to the sea- 
coast or its vicinity. In their aerial voyages to and from the north, 
these winged pilgrims pass over the interior on both sides of the 
mountains, as far west, at least, as the Osage river ; and I have 
never yet visited any quarter of the country where the inhabitants 
are not familiarly acquainted with the regular passing and repass- 
ing of the Wild Geese. When the vernal flight takes place, the 
general opinion here is that they are on their way to the Jakes to 
breed ; but the inhabitants on the confines of the great lakes that 
separate us from Canada, are equally ignorant with ourselves of 
the particular breeding places of these birds. There their journey 
north is but commencing; and how far it extends it is impossible 
for us at present to ascertain, from our little acquaintance with 
those frozen regions. They were seen by Hearne, in large flocks, 
within the arctic circle, and were then pursuing their way still far- 
ther north. Captain Phipps speaks of seeing Wild Geese feeding 
at the water’s edge, on the dreary coast of Spitzbergen, in lat. 
80° 27'. It is highly probable that they extend their migrations 
under the very pole itself, amid the silent desolation of unknown 
O 
VOL, VIII. 
