Dimensions
Of a male.
Length, total Inch; 32 Lin. Inch. Lin. Inch. Lin. 0 ' Length of bill to frontal angle 2 7 Length of middle nail . 0 5$ - „ of tail, . 6 0 „ of bill to rictus . 2 3 „ of hind toe . . 0 5 „ of wing . 16 9 ,, of tarsus . . 3 0 „ of hind nail 0 3£ „ of bill above . . 2 3 „ of middle toe . 2 4
— R .
[227.] 3. A n s e r C a n a d e n s i s . (Bonap.) Canada Goose.
Sub-family, Anserinse, Swains. Genus, Anser, Auct.
The Canada Goose. Edwards, pi. 151.
Canada Goose. P e n n . Arct. Zool., ii., p. 544, No. 471. W il s ., viii..p. 53, pi. 67, f. 4.
Anser Canadensis. Bonap., Syn., p. 377, No. 318.
Neescah or mistehay-neescah. Cree Indians.
L’Outarde. F rench Canadians. Bustard. Hudson’s Bay Settlers.
The arrival of this well-known bird in the fur countries is anxiously looked
for and hailed with great joy by the natives of the woody and swampy districts,
who depend principally upon it for subsistence during the summer. It makes
its first appearance in flocks of twenty or thirty, which are readily decoyed within
gun-shot by the hunters, who set up stales and imitate its call. Two or three
or more are so frequently killed at a shot, that the usual price of a goose is a
single charge of ammunition. One goose, which, when fat, weighs about nine
pounds, is the daily ration for one of the Company’s servants during the season,
and is reckoned equivalent to two snow geese, or three ducks, or eight pounds
of buffalo and moose meat, or two pounds of pemmican, or a pint of maize and
four ounces of suet. About three weeks after their first appearance, the Canada
geese disperse in pairs throughout the country, between the 50th and 67th
parallels, to breed, retiring at the same time from the shores of Hudson’s Bay.
They are seldom or never seen on the coasts of the Arctic Sea. In July, after
the young birds are hatched, the parents moult, and vast numbers are killed in
the rivers and small lakes when they are unable to fly. When chased by a
canoe and obliged to dive frequently, they soon become fatigued and make for
Note.—Heame describes a goose under the name of Homed Wavey, which does not appear to be noticed by any
other writer. His words are:—“ This delicate and diminutive species of Goose is not much larger than the Mallard
Duck. Its plumage is delicately white, except the quill feathers, which are black. The bill is not more than an inch
long, and is studded at the base with little knobs about the size of peas, but moré remarkably so in the males. The
bill and feet are of the same colour with those of the Snow Goose. This species is very scarce at Churchill, and I believe
is never found at any of the southern settlements; but about three hundred miles to the N.W. of Churchill, I
have seen it in as large flocks as the Snow goose. The flesh of this bird is delicate ; but it is so small, that I ate two
one night for supper.”—Hearne, Jou/rn., p. 442. Lewis and Clark also"give descriptions of several small Geese that
frequent the coast of the Pacific, which we cannot reconcile with any of our species.—R.
the shore with the intention of hiding themselves, but as they are not fleet, they
fall an easy prey to their pursuers. In the autumn they again assemble in flocks
on the shores of Hudson’s Bay for three weeks , or a month previous to their
departure southwards. It has been observed that in their migrations the Geese
annually resort to certain passes and resting places, some of which are frequented
both in the spring and autumn, and others only in the spring. The
Canada Goose generally builds its nest on the ground, but some pairs occasionally
breed on the banks of the Saskatchewan in trees, depositing their eggs
in the deserted nests of ravens or fishing eagles. Its call is imitated by a prolonged
nasal pronunciation of the syllable mook frequently repeated.
DESCRIPTION.
Colour.—Head, two thirds of the neck *, greater quills, rump, and tail, pitch-black.
Back and wings hroccoli-brown, edged with wood-brown. Base of the neck before and the
under plumage yellowish-grey with paler edges ; flanks and base of the plumage generally
brownish-grey. A few feathers about the eye, a large kidney-shaped patch on the throat,
the sides of the rump, and upper and under tail coverts, pure white. Bill and feet black.
Form.—Bill shaped more like that of the Barnacle than that o'f the two preceding geese.
Neck long and slender.
Dimensions.
Inch. Lin. Inch. Lin. Inch. Lin.
Length, total . . 41 0 Length of bill above . 2 2 Length of middle toe . 2 11
,, of tail . . 9 0 „ of bill to rictus . 2 6 „ of its nail . . 0 6 £
„ of wing . . 19 6 of tarsus , . 3 7
Individuals differ considerably in dimensions : one having the same length of wing with
the preceding, has a tarsus four inches long; middle toe 3J inches, its nail 7J lines.—R.
[228.] 4. Anser bernicla. (Bonap.) Brent Goose.
Su b -fa m il y , Anserinse, Swains. Genus, Anser, A u c t .
Brent Goose. P e n n . Arct. Zool., ii./p. 551, No. 478.
Oie cravant (Anas bernicla). T em m ., ii., p. 824.
The Brant {Anas bernicla): Wils.,’ viii. p. 131, pi. 72, f. 1.
Anas bernicla {Brent Goose). R ic h a r d s. App. Parry's Second Voy., p. 367, No. 29.
Anser bernicla. Bonap. Syn., p. 378, No. 320.
Weetha-wsewae. Cr e e I n dia ns. Neerlook. E sq u im a u x .
The Brent breeds in numbers on the coasts and islands of Hudson’s Bay and
the Arctic Sea, and is rarely seen in the interior. It feeds much on the ulva
* The black part of the neck measures 11 inches from the occiput.