210 GAME BIBDS OF CALIFOENIA 



When unmolested this duck is likely to nest in any suitable locality, 

 be it even a pond in a city park. Consequently the maintenance of a 

 breeding stock and the regulation of the annual supply by this means 

 would probably prove a simple matter. The Ruddy still exists in 

 goodly numbers especially in southern California and can be expected 

 to continue to hold its own until considerably greater numbers are 

 taken by the hunter, or until the available breeding grounds are 

 greatly reduced through reclamation or other causes. 



Lesser Snow Goose 



Chen hyperhorcus hyperhoreus (Pallas) 



Other names — White Brant; White Goose; Anser hyperhoreus; Chen albatus: 

 Anser albatus; Chen hyperhoreus nivalis. 



Description — Adults, hoth sexes: Whole plumage (except as mentioned 

 below) snowy white; primaries black, becoming ashy at bases; primary coverts 

 gray, with dusky shafts; lower surface of body often tinged with light yellowish 

 brown; iris dark brown; bill lake red, nails whitish; edges of mandibles (forming 

 "grinning patch") black; feet dusky lake red; claws brownish black. Total 

 length (both sexes) "about 23.00-28.00" inches (583-711 mm.) (Ridgway, 1900, 

 p. 115). Males: folded wing 16.65-17.12 (423-435); bill along culmen 2.19-2.40 

 (55.5-60.9); tarsus 3.07-3.38 (77.9-85.8) (six specimens). Females: folded 

 wing 15.20-16.65 (386-423); bill along culmen 2.00-2.26 (50.8-57.3); tarsus 

 8.01-3.32 (76.5-84.3) (eight specimens); all from California. Juvenile plumage: 

 Head, neck, back and scapulars, pale gray with brownish feather edgings; top 

 of head darkest; primary flight feathers black; outer surface of closed wing pale 

 ashy brown with broad white feather edgings; secondaries mottled darkly 

 with drab, and margined with white; rump, upper tail coverts, tail and lower 

 surface, white, the tail and breast faintly tinged with ashy; head and lower 

 surface usually more or less strongly tinged with bright yellowish brown. 

 Winter birds from California are mostly in more or less mixed transitional 

 plumage from juvenile to adult. Natal plumage: No specimen or description 

 available. 



Marks for field identification — Large size, pure white body plumage, 

 black flight feathers, and reddish bill and feet (pi. 6). Distinguished from Boss 

 Goose by larger size, longer, smoother bill, and large black area ("grinning 

 patch") exposed between edges of mandibles (compare figs. 30 and 31). Im- 

 mature birds also appear white at a distance. 



Voice — In flight, a shrill hoiclc (Baird, Brewer and Ridgway, 1884, I, p. 441). 



Nest — On wet ground; made of grasses, mosses and down (Eifrig, 1905, 

 p. 237). 



Eggs — 5 to 8, ovate in shape, measuring in inches, 3.00 to 3.47 by 2.09 to 2.19 

 (in millimeters, 76.0 to 88.0 by 53.0 to 55.5), and averaging 3.17 by 2.13 (80.5 

 by 54.0) (nine eggs in U. S. National Museum) ; color creamy white (Eifrig, 

 loe. eit.; Davie, 1889, p. 79). 



General distribution — North America. Breeds only along Arctic coast 

 from mouth of Mackenzie River to Hudson Bay. Winters from southern 

 British Columbia, southern Colorado, and southern Illinois south to northern 

 Lower California, central Mexico and the Gulf States; rare on Atlantic coast 

 (modified from A. O. U. Check-list, 1910, p. 83). 



