Catal. 
No. 
9777? 
5476 
9775 
Sex. 
Locality. 
| Pike lake, Minn 
Puget’s Sound 
Yellowstone rive 
Me ss eis ore 
BIRDS 
ANSERINAE. 
List of specimens. 
When collected. 
Aug. 27, 1856. 
Whence obtained. Collected by— 
| 
| 
Gov. Stevens....) Dr. Suckley 
Lieut. Warren_--| Dr. Hayden__..- 
A. Campbell -.-.| Dr. Kennerly --- 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings 
759 
Wing. 
Sub-Family ANSERINAE. 
As already stated, the chief characters of the Anserinae are to be found in the elevated body, 
with the lengthened tibia and tarsus, fitting the species for a terrestrial life. 
much more than the other dnatidae, although equally able to swim, 
than those of the swans, but decidedly longer than in the ducks. 
They walk about 
Their necks are shorter 
A common character, at least in most genera, is seen in the plates on the anterior portion of 
: 
: 
are as follows: 
middle of the commissure. 
by a large convex decurved nail. 
large, though mostly occupied by membrane. 
missure or the middle toe without its claw. 
the tarsus, which, as in the swans, are small and hexagonal, becoming smaller behind. 
In the 
true ducks, the front of the tarsus is covered with transverse scutellae, the sides and behind, 
however, are reticulated. 
f The. bill is generally rather short, and higher than broad at the base, in this differing from 
most ducks; it also tapers in most cases quite rapidly to the tip, which is constituted entirely 
The foramen of the bill, in which the nostrils open, is very 
The tarsus is generally longer than the com- 
The cheeks are densely feathered to the bill. 
The plumage is never very brilliant, white, black, and gray predominating. 
swans, both sexes are colored alike, in this differing from the other Anatidae. 
As in the 
I differ from most authors in placing Dendrocygna in the present sub-family, rather than 
with the Anatinae. 
type of a separate sub-family. 
Its characters are, indeed, so peculiar as almost to warrant its forming the 
In the elevated base of the bill, with the large nail at the 
Ansereae.—Bill tapering to the tip; as long as the head. 
certainly a much closer relationship to the geese than to the ducks.1 
Tibia bare near the lower end only. 
AwnsrR.—Bill as long as the head ; mostly red or orange colored. 
mandible project below the edge as conical points. 
extremity, and the lengthened legs, with the hexagonal scales in front of the tarsus, there is 
The North American genera of the Auserinae, as defined chiefly by Keyserling and Blasins, 
Nostrils reaching about to the 
The lamellae of upper 
Nostrils opening behind the 
middle of the commissure, the anterior edge only reaching to this point. Tip of 
hind toe reaching the ground. 
BrrnicLaA.—Bill shorter than the head; black. Lamellae of upper jaw hidden by the 
margin of bill. 
anterior edge reaching beyond this point. 
Nasal apertures lying over the middle of the commissure, their 
touching the ground. 
Hind toe elevated ; rudimentary ; not 
+ Bonaparte, indeed, in his last schedule of Anatidue, Comptes Rendus, XLIII, September, 1856, places Dendrocygna with 
Tadorna, Chenaloper, &c , in a section Tadorneue of Plectropteridae. 
