BIRDS — ANSEEINAE — ANSER gAmBELII. 



761 



? Young. Head and upper part of neck white; lower part of neck to the wings dark brown, passing on the sides of body into a 

 more ashy shade ; rest of under parts, concealed portions of the back, rump, and upper coverts, white. The entire scapular and 

 scapular region is ashy brown, each feather with faint reddish brown margin. The upper surface of the wing is of a clear silvery 

 ash, but passing into dark brown on the ends of the nuills. The coverts, secondaries, tertials, and scapulars, edged with white. 



Length about 30 inches; wing, 16.40; tarsus, 3.12; commissure, 2.10. 



Hah. — Whole of North America. 



It is quite probable that, as Mr. Cassin suggests, tbe supposed young bird, as described above, 

 is really distinct from the white bird, but in the absence of positive facts in the case I do not 

 feel at- liberty to separate the two, especially as Mr. Audubon asserts positively that a gray or 

 bluish specimen in possession of Dr. Bachman became white. 



I have not the means of testing the validity of Mr. Cassin's new Anser albatus, which is said 

 to differ from the common species in smaller size, shorter bill^ &c. In the very great variations 

 of size and proportions in the geese I can scarcely believe that the grounds of distinction as 

 announced are sufficient in the present case to make two species. 



The name caendescens has priority of date over liyperboreus, and if the species are the same 

 should be used, but for the fact that the adult bird is not bluish, but white, thus conveying a 

 false impression respecting it. 



List of specimens. 



ANSEK GAMBELII, Hartlaub. 



White Fronted Goose; Langhiug Goose. 



Amer alUfrmis, Sw. F. B. A. II, 1831, 456. Not of Gmelin.— Nutt. Man. II, 346.— Aud. Orn. Biog. Ill, 1835, 568; 



pi. 260.— Ib. Syn. 272.— Ib. Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 209; pi. 380. 

 Anser gamhelii, Hartladb, Rev. et Mag. Zool. 1852, 7. 



Sp. Ch. — Tail of sixteen feathers. Bill and legs red. Along sides of bill aud forehead white, margined behind with blackish 

 brown. Rest of head and neck grayish brown, becoming pale on the jugulura. Back bluish gray, the feathers anteriorly 

 tipped with brown; the sides similarly colored. The breast and belly grayish white, blotched irregularly with black; the anal 

 region, sides behind, and beneath the tail, with the upper coverts, white. The secondary liuills and ends of primaries are dark 

 brown ; the remaining portion of primaries and the covert silvery ash. The shafts of quills white. Greater coverts edged with 

 white. Tail feathers brown, tipped with white. Axillars and under surface of wings ashy plumbeous. Length 28 inches ; wing, 

 16.30; tarsus, 2.88; commissure, 2.04. 



Ilab. — Whole of North America. 



A specimen from New Mexico is smaller, with the nail of bill narrower. Another from EI 

 Paso (104G3) has the under parts grayish, with only a trace of black in three or four feathers. 



August 12, 1838. 



96 b 



