SNOAV-GOOSE. 333 



ANAS HYPERBOREA. SNOW-GOOSE. 



" Hoarse, heavy geese scream up the distant sky 

 And all the thunders of our boat defy." 



This beautiful fowl is known upon our coast as the red goose, 

 and makes its appearance in the rivers of the Eastern States early 

 in November, and as the winter progresses proceeds farther South ; 

 it also stops with us on its return to the North early in the spring, 

 or rather late in the winter. 



Snow-geese are numerous on the coast of Jersey and in the 

 Delaware Bay. They frequent the marshes and reedy shores to 

 feed upon the roots of various marine plants, — more particularly 

 that called sea-cabbage. Their bills being very strong and well 

 supplied with powerful teeth, they pull up Avith great facility the 

 roots of sedge and all other plants. 



Their flesh, though not fishy, is strong, but, we think, better than 

 that of the domestic fowl. 



The same stratagems are used to shoot these fowls as are put 

 into practice to kill the other variety. 



DESCRIPTION. 



"The snow-goose is two feet eight inches in length and five feet 

 in extent ; the bill is three inches in length, remarkably thick at 

 the base, and rising high in the forehead, but becomes small and 

 compressed at the extremity, where each mandible is furnished 

 Avith a whitish rounding nail ; the color of the bill is a purplish car- 

 mine ; the edges of the two mandibles separate from each other in 

 a singular manner for their Avhole length, and this gibbosity is 

 occupied by dented rows, resembling teeth, these and the parts 

 adjoining being of a blackish color; the Avhole plumage is of a 

 snoAvy whiteness, with the exception, first, of the forepart of the 

 head all round as far as the eyes, which is of a yelloAvish-i-ust 

 color intermixed with white ; and, second, the nine exterior quill- 



