130 WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. 
The note is thought to resemble a laugh, and hence the 
vernacular name. Meyer likens it to the words ‘click,’ ‘clack,’ 
or ‘cling.’ 
The egos of this species are of a white colour, with*a tinge 
of pale buff. 
Male; weight, from between four and five to as much some- 
times as seven pounds; length, two feet three inches; bill, pale 
yellowish red with a tint of orange, the tooth white; about 
the base of the upper mandible and the beginning of the 
forehead, the feathers are white, as indicated by the name of 
the bird. Iris, deep dark dusky brown; forehead, white or 
yellowish white, succeeded by a band of shaded black, forming, 
with that about the chin, a band round that part of the head; 
head, crown, neck on the back, and nape, brownish grey, or 
yellowish brown; chin, white bordered with black; throat, pale 
greyish white; breast above, pale brownish white, with some 
irregular black bars; below, gradually paler, with broad waves 
of black more or less distinct; the sides greyish brown, with 
edgings of dull white: these marks are considered by Audubon 
to be characteristic of the breeding plumage, and they are 
no doubt then in their greatest intensity. Back above, dark 
greyish brown, with pale reddish brown edges to the feathers; 
below, dark brown. 
The wings have the second quill feather the longest; greater 
and lesser wing coverts, grey, edged with rufous white or 
white; primaries, bluish black; secondaries, also bluish black; 
tertiaries, margined with dull white. The tail has the middle 
feathers dark grey, tipped with white, the outer ones nearly 
entirely white; upper and under tail coverts, white. Legs 
and toes, orange-colour; claws, very pale bluish grey; webs, 
pale reddish orange. . 
The female has less white on the forehead. 
In the young of the first year, the feathers about the base 
of the upper bill are dark brown; the bill pale brown at the 
tip. ‘The breast is without the dark bars and patches on the 
sides. 
