GEESE. 121 



Long Island, irregular from Oct. to Apl. Sing Sing, A, V., Apl. 

 li'est and eggs unknown. 



The Snow Goose does not appear to be a common bird on any part 

 of the Atlantic coast. It migrates both by night and day, and when 

 on the wing its white plumage and black-tipped primaries render it 

 easily identifiable. It is a noisier bird than the Canada Goose, and its 

 voice is higher and more cackling. 



169.1. Chen CSBrulescens (Linn.). Blue Goose. Ad. — Head and 



upper neck white ; middle of the liind neck sometimes blackish, lower neck all 

 around fuscous, rest of under parts brownish gray edged with butfy ; the lower 

 belly generally paler, sometimes white ; upper back and scapulars like the 

 breast ; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts gray ; tail fuscous gray edged 

 with whitish ; wing-coverts like the rump or slightly darker, with little or 

 no whitish margins ; wing-quills and tertials fuscous, the latter more or less 

 margined with whitish, /m.— " Similar to adult, but head and neck uniform 

 deep grayish brown, only the chin being white. L., 26"50-30-00 : W., 15-00- 

 17-00; B., 2-10-2-30; Tar., 3-00-3-30'' (Ridgw.). 



Range. — North Amxcrica; breeds in the Hudson Bay region and migrates 

 southward, chiefly through the interior, to Texas. 



Long Island, A. V. 



Nest and eggs unknown. 



The Blue Goose is apparently nowhere a common bird, and on the 

 Atlantic coast it, is even less common than in the interior. It was at 

 one time supposed to be the young of ftie Snow Goose, which it doubt- 

 less resembles in habits. 



171a. Anser albifirons gambeli {Hartl.). American White- 

 fronted Goose. Ad. — Forehead and region bordering the base of the bill 

 white ; upper parts and foreneck grayish brown, more or less margined on 

 the back with lighter ; longer and lateral upper tail-coverts white ; breast 

 somewhat lighter than the throat, more or less irregularly marked Avith black, 

 and fiading gradually into pure white on the lower belly ; sides like the back. 

 Im. — Similar, but no white at the base of the bill or black marks on the 

 breast ; nail of the bill black. " L., 27-00-30'00 ; W., 14-25-17-50 ; B., l-80-2'35 ; 

 depth of mandible at base, -90-1-20 ; width, -85-1-05 ; Tar., 2-60-3-20" (Ridgw.). 



Range. — " North America, breeding far northward ; in winter south to 

 Mexico and Cuba" (A. 0. U.) ; rare on the Atlantic coast. 



Long Island, A. V. 



Nest., on the ground, of grasses lined with down. Eggs., six to seven, dull 

 greenish yellow with obscure darker tints, 3*10 x 2*07 (Davie). 



" These birds are rarely met with on the Atlantic coast, but are 

 quite common in the Mississippi Valley and abundant on the Pacific 

 slope. They prefer low, wet grounds in the vicinity of timber, or 

 where the prairie is dotted here and tliere with bushes ; and, while 

 they occasionally forage off the wheat fields and other grains on the 



