NOTE ON THE ANAS HYPERBOREUS. 

 Females. 



107 



NOTE. Since the above was written, Mr. Wm. Palmer has kindly loaned me 

 for examination three adult males and two females, obtained at Escanaba, Michi 

 gan, in June, 1883. These all belong to americana, and doubtless represent 

 the form which breeds in that region. 



NOTE ON THE ANAS HYPERBOREUS, PALL., AND 

 ANSER ALBATUS, CASS. 



BY ROBERT RIDGWAY. 



(Read March 8, 1884.) 



While there can be no doubt that Mr. Cassin did right in sepa 

 rating the smaller North American Snow Geese from the larger 

 ones, it is very evident that he committed an error in giving the 

 smaller form a new name. Pallas' s Anas hyperboreus was based 

 upon the birds of this species occurring in eastern Siberia ; and on 

 referring to his description it is perfectly clear that the Siberian 

 specimens are identical with those from Alaska and other western 

 portions of North America, which represent the so-called "A. 

 albatus " of Cassin. This smaller form of the Snow Goose is not 

 only the typical race, but has by far the most extensive distribu 

 tion, so far, at least, as the United States are concerned, and is 

 decidedly the more common one in most collections.* The larger 

 race is the Anas nivalis of Forster (Philos. Trans., Ixii, 1772, p. 

 413), and may therefore be called Chen (or Anser} hyperboreus 

 nivalis (FoRST). The habitat of this large race is tlie region about 

 Hudson's Bay (the breeding grounds unknown, however), and 

 southward in winter chiefly along the Atlantic coast of the United 



* The National Museum possesses only three specimens of the larger form, but 

 has received at least ten times that number of the smaller race. 



