138 Capt. Blakiston on the Birds of the 
the “ first goose,” which is always considered somewhat of a 
feat. To this end, in the next few days, numerous wooden 
decoys appeared, all deviating, more or less, from the natural 
model, which, I must own, none came very near. Mine were 
roughly hewn out of a log of wood, with no other tools but an 
axe and a saw, and smeared with charcoal in place of paint; 
however, they answered the purpose exceedingly well; for it is 
wonderful what imperfect imitations, either in call or effigy, will 
attract waterfowl in spring-time, when there are but few places 
to select suitable for halting and feeding. On this subject I 
must refer all who take especial interest to a communication on 
the “Swans and Geese of Hudson's Bay,” by my much-respected 
friend Mr. Geo. Barnston ('Ibis/ vol. ii. No. 7), whose oppor¬ 
tunities for the observance of the fauna and flora of the northern 
portion of the American continent, during a life passed in the 
service of the Hudson's Bay Company, have been so well taken 
advantage of. Besides recording the different species of Geese 
found in the “ interior,” which I shall advert to under their 
several heads, Mr. Barnston has furnished reliable returns of the 
numbers annually slaughtered, from which he estimates that no 
less than the enormous amount of 800,000 Geese (the Brant 
not included) wing their way southward from the country lying 
between Hudson's Bay and the Rocky Mountains every autumn. 
Now this, I feel sure, is not over the mark; for I was informed, on 
good authority, that at York Factory alone the average number 
of Geese salted down for the use of the Hudson's Bay Company's 
establishment is thirty barrels in the spring and twenty-three in 
the fall; while Severn House supplies York Factory with other 
forty barrels annually. This is confirmed by a letter from my 
friend Mr. James R. Clare, now in charge of the northern depot at 
York Factory, in which he says:—“ In an average of five years 
we have expended at this place annually 5857 Geese, 2155 Ducks, 
1870 White Partridges (Willow Grouse), and 2480 Plovers; 
the quantity, however, varies according to the season, more 
especially in Partridges (Grouse), 4474, for example, having been 
expended in one of these years.” These additional returns, and 
the immense flight of Geese which I have seen in the Saskatcha- 
wan country, induce me to believe that Mr. Barnston has far 
from overrated the Anserince of the “ interior.” 
