Further Occurrences of Emperor Geese in California
Further Occurrences of Emperor Geese in California
Fragments of an Emperor Goose (Philacte canagica) are contained in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology under no. 52036, by gift from Mr. Franklin J. Smith of Eureka, from a bird found dead on the beach south of Buhnes Point, Humboldt Bay, March 1, 1925. This find was witnessed by both Mr. Smith and Mr. Bertram O. Betterley; the bird, however it met its death, had been partly destroyed by seagulls. Mr. Smith stated that this is the first record of the species known to him for Humboldt Bay since 1884, when the bird recorded by Townsend (Auk, 3, 1886, p. 491) was taken.
Fragments of another Emperor Goose are in this Museum (no. 64483) that were saved from a bird that was killed on Pit River near McArthur, Shasta County, January 20, 1930. This goose was sent by Mr. F. L. Fleming, of the Fall River Joint Union High School, who stated that the bird was found by boys on the river with other geese that “became very poor while their feed was covered. From time to time some were found stuck to the ice by the tips of their wings.” This last record station is farthest interiorwards, that is, away from the sea-coast (some 140 miles), of all the records of the Emperor Goose to date.
J. Grinnell
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, December 7, 1930
