ANSERINE — THE GEESE — CHEN. 



439 



Chen hyperboreus. 



THE SNOW GOOSE. 



Anser hyperboreus, Pall. Spic. Zool. VIII. 1767, 80, 25, pi. 65 ; (Eastern Siberia) Zoog. Eosso-As. 



II. 1826, 227. — Sw. & Rich. F. B. A. II. 1831, 467. — Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 344. — Aud. 



Orn. Biog. IV. 1838, 562, pi. 381 ; Synop. 1839, 273 ; B. Am. VI. 1843, 212, pi. 381. — Baird, 



B. N. Am. 1858, 760 ; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 563. — Coues, Key, 1872, 282 ; Check List, 



1873, no. 480 ; B. N. W. 1874, 548. 

 Anas Mjperboreus, Gmel. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 504. — Wils. Am. Orn. VIII. 1814, 76, pi. 68, f. 3. 

 Chen hyiwrhoreus, BoiE, Isis, 1822, 563. — Ridgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 591. —Coues, Check 



List, 2d ed. 1882, no. 695. 

 Anas nivalis, Forst. Philos. Trans. LXII. 1772, 413 (Severn R.). 

 Tadorna nivea, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. 1831, 854. 

 White Brant, Lawson, Carol. 147. 



Snozv Goose, Penn. Arct. Zool. II. 1790, 479. —Lath. Synoj). VI. 1785, 445. 

 Anser albatus, Cass. Pr. Pliilad. Acad. 1856, 41. — Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 925. 

 Chen albatus, Elliot, Illustr. Am. B. II. 1S69, pi. 42. 



Anser hyperboreus, var. albatus, Coues, Key, 1872, 282 ; Check List, 1873, no. 480ct. 

 Anser hyperboreus, b. albatus, Coues, Birds N. W. 1874, 549. 

 Chen hyperboreus albatus, Ridgw. Pi'. U. S. Nat. Mns. 1880, 202 ; Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 591a. 



— Coue.s, Check List, 2d ed. 1882, no. 696. 



Hab. The whole of Xorth America, 

 breeding far north ; more rare on Atlantic 

 coast than westward. Greenland ; casual in 

 Europe. South to Cuba. 



Sp. Char. Adult: Entire plumage, ex- 

 cept the primaries, snow-white, the head 

 sometimes stained with orange-rufous ante- 

 riorly ; primaries deep black, fading basally 

 into grayish, the primary coverts and alula 

 being hoary ash. Bill purplish red, the nail 

 whitish, and the intertomial space black ; 

 iris dark brown ; eyelids whitish ; feet pur- 

 ple- or orange-red, the soles dingy yellowish. 

 Young : Above, including the head and neck, 

 pale cinereous, the feathers of the dorsal re- 

 gion more whitish on their edges ; wing- 

 coverts and tertials dark cinereous centrally, 

 their edges broadly pure white ; secondaries 

 mottled cinereous, skirted with white ; pri- 

 maries as ill the adult. Rump, upper tail- 

 coverts, tail, and lower parts, immaculate 

 snowy white, the tail and breast tinged with 

 pale ash. Head usually more or less tinged 

 with orange-rufous, this deepest anteriorly. 

 Bill and feet dusky. Downy young not seen. 



Total length, about 30.00 inches ; wing, 

 15.00-18.50 ; culmen, 1.95-2.80 ; depth of 

 maxilla, at base, 1.15-1.50; tarsus, 2.80- 

 3.50 ; middle toe, 2.10-2.90. 



There can be little cjuestion that two 

 forms of the Snow Goose exist in North 



America, distinguished by their size and also their geographical distribution. The smaller, to 

 which the name hyperhoreus properly belongs, and of which albatus, Cass., is a pure synonyme. 



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