342 Barnston on the Swans ajid Gees. 



dish tinge, exactly as if they had been rubbed by the hair-dresser 

 with the red rust of iron ; and the bill, as is always the case with 

 the young of the feathered race, is tender, soft, and compressible. 

 On the other hand the A. coerulescens comes down upon the East- 

 main coast, also in perfectly distinct flocks, the young of a more 

 diffused blue colour, as well as being of smaller size. The full- 

 grown blue wavy is besides somewhat larger than the white, and 

 has its flesh most decidedly of a much fairer hue. In the spring, 

 James's Bay is frequently crossed by both species, as far north as 

 Capes James and Henrietta Marie, and occasionally two or three 

 of the blue may be observed in a large flock of the white on the 

 Albany or west shore. White again are seen mixed up to a cer- 

 tain extent with the full flocks of blue on the Eastmain. This is 

 not singular, their cry being almost the same and their habits 

 similar, and they are, it must be allowed, closely allied species. 



According to Indian report, a great breeding ground for the 

 blue wavy is the country lying in the interior of the north-east 

 point of Labrador, Cape Dudley Digges. Extensive swamps and 

 impassable bogs prevail there ; and the geese incubate on the 

 more solid and the driest tufts dispersed over the morass, safe 

 from the approach of man, or any other than a winged enemy. 

 Neither fox nor wolverine can penetrate to them, nor pass over 

 the deceitful quick bogs to disturb their quiet. 



The Anser Gamhelii, or white fronted goose, called by some 

 the laughing goose, is seldom seen in the southern part of Hud- 

 son's Bay. At York Factory they are less rare, but at Churchill 

 frequent enough. I am disposed to believe that this goose is 

 more an inhabitant of Central and Western America during the 

 winter months than of the eastern board. Proceeding northwards, 

 therefore, in the end of April and early part of May, it comes 

 upon the coast of Hudson's Bay towards York Factory, and is 

 scarcely seen in James's Bay. I have not been able to ascertain 

 whether any detachments are met with on the Atlantic coast of 

 Labrador. Do they not feed on the productions of dry downs, and 

 barren and rocky country, in preference to the swamp grasses and 

 algse ? On the Lower Columbia, and in Oregon or the Willa- 

 mette valley, they abound with other geese, sometimes in nearly 

 equal proportions, and the snow goose still delighting to keep the 

 sea coast, while the A. Gamhelii and the grey geese take to the 

 rivers and lakes of the interior. These are seldom frozen to 

 the southward of latitude 45°, and very severe weather only 



