T61 
BIRDS—ANSERINAE—ANSER GAMBELII,. 
2 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 quills. The coverts, secondaries, tertials, and scapulars, edged with white. 
Length about 30 inches; wing, 16.40; tarsus, 3.12; commissure, 2.10. 
Hab.—Whole of North America. 
It is quite probable that, as Mr. Cassin suggests, the 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 caerulescens has priority of date over hyperboreus, and if the species are tree 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. 
Catal. No. Locality. Whence obtained. Collected by— 
WHITE. 
1241 lUnitedaStates~ros en aesacasn coos. Stale Dairdwa-s 2a ose eee tose esa as cee ae oo eee 2 See ene 
4527 DPA TANGISCO se = ae ame ee etal ine ihieuts Williamson" se soso a ae Newberry: sc se scesseeoc- cco 
9968 Bugetisisoundy: oo. oa ae cess Drssuckley =o -oaseees ase ee | oo see en Sane o eee eas saaee case ene 
10403 Northwest coast of America. .---.| United States Exploring Expedition.|........-......-.-.--..2..--..-- 
BLUISH, 
UOT OR) Missourierivers ossasc- osss<s-- SiH ebaiTdpas ssa aee ee nee eee Jd. Audubon ss oss eee 
Sp. Cu.—Tail of sixteen feathers. 
brown. 
ANSER GAMBELIT, Hartlaub. 
White Fronted Goose; Laughing Goose. 
Anser albifrons, Sw. F. B. A. If, 1831, 456. Not of Gmelin.—Nurr. Man. H, 346.—Aup. Orn. Biog. III, 1835, 568; 
pl. 280.—Ik. Syn. 272.—Iz. Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 209; pl. 380. 
Anser gambelii, HARTLAuB, Rey. et Mag. 
Zool. 1852, 7. 
Bill and legs red. Along sides of bill and forehead white, margined behind with blackish 
Rest of head and neck grayish brown, becoming pale on the jngulum. 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. 
brown; the remaining portion of primaries and the covert silvery ash. The shafts of quills white. 
white. 
Tail feathers brown, tipped with white. 
16.30; tarsus, 2.88; commissure, 2.04. 
Hab.—W hole of North America. 
A specimen from New Mexico is smaller, with the nail of bill narrower. 
The secondary 
Axillars and under surface of wings ashy plumbeous. 
quills and ends of primaries are dark 
Greater coverts edged with 
Length 28 inches; wing, 
Another from El] 
Paso (10463) has the under parts grayish, with only a trace of black in three or four feathers, 
August 12, 1858. 
96 b 
