(Branta canadensis)
The Canada goose, or honker as it is commonly called, was and is quite
common on the Coast. This goose, the largest of the Americans, has a
wide distribution, ranging from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from
the Arctic to Central America. They breed as far south as southern ern
Oregon, at any rate, and possibly on the higher mountain lakes as far
south as Mexico, for they seem to make their appearance on the Coast
shooting grounds of Mexico nearly, if not quite, as early as they do
here.
The flesh of the Canada goose is the equal if not the superior of the
tame goose. Its flight, except when migrating long distances, is
generally low, and in such cases it can be called by the hunter to
within shooting distance.
=Color=--Head and neck, black, with a white stripe running from the
chin back of the eye to near the top of the head; upper parts, dark
brownish gray; breast, dull, light gray, grading into white at the
abdomen; tail and wings, black. Both sexes alike.
=Eggs and Nest=--The nest is generally built of sticks and grass,
lined with feathers, and either in the marshes or on the banks of a
stream, and rarely if ever contain more than six or seven, and often
not more than four, eggs of a very light brownish white.
=Measurements=--Wing, about 19 inches; bill, about 1-3/4 inches.
[Illustration: WHITE-CHEEKED GOOSE (Branta canadensis occidentalis)]