SNOW GOOSE. 279 



monts 3-4 by 2*2 in. The late Capt. Lyon, of H.M.S. 

 ' Hecla,' says that the eggs are usually five in number. 



Richardson says that the young fly in the middle of 

 August, and by the end of September have all departed 

 south. Their food in the summer consists of rushes and 

 insects, and in autumn of berries, particularly of those of 

 the Empetrum nigrum. When in good condition these birds 

 are excellent eating, and form the staple article of food for 

 the natives, by whom they are known as the ' "Wevois ' or 

 ' Wavies.' It is said that the young do not attain to the full 

 plumage of the adults before their fourth year ; and until 

 then they keep in separate flocks. At Fort Albany, in the 

 southern portion of Hudson's Bay, where the old birds were 

 rarely seen, the young occurred in abundance; and, on the 

 other hand, the old birds in their migrations visit York 

 Factory in great numbers, but always unaccompanied by 

 their young. On the whole this species is probably the 

 most numerous of all the Geese which inhabit North 

 America. 



In addition to the two forms which have here been treated 

 as constituting one species, there is a very small and distinct 

 species of Snow Goose, Chen rossi, resembling the above in 

 coloration, but with numerous caruncules at the base of the 

 bill. There is also another member of the same genus, 

 known as the Blue-winged Goose, C. carulcscens, resembling 

 C. liyi^erhoreus in form and proportion, but differing from 

 it in having the upper part of the neck and some of the 

 under parts marked with brown and lead-colour. It is 

 certainly not, in the ordinary sense of words, an immature 

 phase of the Snow Goose, for the young of each have a 

 recognizably distinct plumage ; but, considering the irregu- 

 larity in the disposition of the dark markings on the Blue- 

 winged Goose, it has been suggested that this and the Snow 

 Goose may be, respectively, coloured and white phases of 

 the same species, like those which exist in some of the 

 American Herons. Examples of both these Geese are at 

 the present time (December 188-1) living in the Zoological 

 Society's Gardens. 



