114 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



Anas hyperboreus Gmel. S. N. i, pt. ii, 1788, 501.— Wils. Am. Orn. viii, 1814, 76, pi. 68, f. 3. 

 Chen hyperboreus Ridgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 591.— Coues, Check List, 2d ed. 1882, 



No. 695.— B. B. & R. Water B. N. Am. i, 1884, 139. 

 Chen hyperborea Boie, Isis, 1822, 563— A. O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 169.— Ridgw. Man. 



N. Am. B. 1887, 115. 

 Anser albatus Cass. Proc. Phila. Acad. 1856, 41— Baikd, B. N. Am. 1858, 925; Cat. N. Am. B. 



1859, No.. 563a— Ridgw. Orn. 40th Par. 1877, 619. 

 Chen albatus Elliot, Illust. Am. B. ii, 1869, pi. 42. 



Anser hyperboreus, var. albatus Coues, Key, 1872, 282; Check List, 1873, No. 480a. 

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

 Chen hyperboreus albatus Ridgw. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1880. 202; Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, 



No. 591a— Coues, Check List, 2d ed. 1882, No. 696. 

 Snow Coose Penn. Arct. Zool. ii, 1790, 479.— Lath. Synop. vi, 1885, 445. 



Hab. Northern Asia (as far west as European Russia) and western North America, 

 breeding in the Arctic districts (Alaska, etc.), migrating south in winter to southern Cali- 

 fornia, Mexico, and the Gulf coast; occasional on the Atlantic coast during migrations, in 

 Asia, as far south as Japan in winter; casual in various parts of Europe, including Ireland. 



Sp, Char. Adult: Entire plumage, except the primaries, snow-white, the head some- 

 times stained with orange-rufous anteriorly; primaries deep black, fading basally into 

 grayish, the primary coverts and alula being hoary ash. Bill purplish red or flesh-color, 

 the nail whitish, and the intertomial space black ; iris dark brown ; eyelids whitish or flesh- 

 color; feet purple- or orange-red, the soles dingy yellowish. Young: Above, including 

 the head and neck, pale ashy, the feathers of the dorsal region more whitish on their edges ; 

 wing- coverts and tertials dark ashy or slate -grayish centrally, their edges broadly pure 

 white; secondaries mottled ashy, edged with white; primaries as in the adult. Rump, 

 upper tail-coverts, tail, and lower parts, immaculate pure 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 23,00 to 28.00 inches; wing, 14.50-17.00 (average, 16.36); culmen 1.95- 

 2.30 (2.15) ; tarsus, 2.80-3.25 (3.01) ; middle toe, 2.00-2.50 (2.34). 



The Snow Goose, more commonly known as the "White Brant," 

 is an abundant migrant in Illinois, coming south in October and 

 returning in January to March, according to the character of 

 the season. According to Mr. Nelson it visits us in large flocks, 

 either composed entirely of its own species or mixed with indi- 

 viduals of the larger race {Chen hyperborea nivalis) and the Blue 

 Goose, and in the central portion of the State frequents corn- 

 fields. 



The summer home of the Snow Goose includes the vast extent 

 of territory stretching from the "barren-grounds" of middle 

 Arctic America to Bering's Strait, and also a considerable por- 

 tion of northern Asia, which it traverses until the eastern portion 

 of European Russia is reached. 



Chen hyperborea nivalis (Forst.) 



GREATER SNOW GOOSE. 



Popular svnonyms. Wavey, or Common Wavey (Hudson's Bay); Mexican Goose (Rhode 



Island): Red Goose (New Jersey); Texas Goose (New Jersey). 

 Anas nivalis Fokst. Philos. Trans, lxii, 1772, 413 (Severn R.). 



