SHORT-BILLED GREY GOOSE. 603 



The bill is shorter than -the head, higher than broad at 

 the base, tapering rapidly toward the end, where it is more 

 depressed than in the other species ; the upper mandible with 

 the ridge broad and flattened at the base, rapidly narrowed 

 and convex toward the end, terminated by a broadly elliptical 

 very convex unguis, the dorsal line rapidly sloping, on the 

 unguis arcuato-decurvate, the sides sloping, the edges mode- 

 rately arcuate, marginate, with twenty-four flattened laminae, 

 of which the outer ends are dentiform, and little prominent ; 

 the lower mandible with the intercrural space anteriorly 

 pointed, extending nearly to the unguis, which is of the same 

 form as the upper, but much smaller ; the lower outline of 

 the crura considerably convex, anteriorly ascending and rather 

 concave, their sides rounded, the edges sloping inwards, with 

 forty-five lamellae, of which the dentiform tips are small and 

 rounded. 



The roof of the mouth is concave, Avith five longitudinal 

 series of flattened tubercles. The tongue is fleshy, rather 

 narrow, convex and grooved above, at the base with a slender 

 papilla, a large double papilla on each side, and several 

 smaller ; the lateral margins with slender, flattened, acumi- 

 nate, horny, reversed papillae ; the tip thin, concave, and 

 horny. The width of the mouth is an inch and a twelfth. 



The nostrils are linear-oblong, three-twelfths and a quarter 

 in length, about the middle of the bill, in the anterior and 

 lower part of the oblong-elliptical nasal space, which is 

 covered by membrane, and parallel to the ridge. The eyes 

 are small, their aperture three-twelfths and a half; that of 

 the ear nearly three-twelfths. The legs are short and strong ; 

 the tibia bare for half an inch ; the tarsus compressed, covered 

 with hexagonal scales, of which the anterior are larger, flat, 

 with a small central circular prominence ; the hind toe is 

 very small and elevated, with four scutella ; the second with 

 fourteen, the third with twenty-five, the fourth with sixteen 

 scutella ; the fourth nearly as long as the third ; the second 

 with a thin expanded two-lobed margin ; the outer interdigital 

 membrane emarginate, the inner even. The claws are short, 

 moderately arched, compressed, obtuse, that of the middle toe 

 internally expanded, and rounded at the end. 



