KEY TO THE WATER BIRDS OF FLORIDA. 



105 



Subfamily ANSERIN.E. Geese. 



Genus CHEN Boie. 



CHEN HYPERBOREA NIVALIS (Forsi). 

 Greater Snow Goose. 



General plumage white : primaries black and 

 primary coverts pale ash. The immature bird 

 has the head, neck, and upper parts mottled gray 

 and white; the rump and tail are white ; under 

 parts white. 



Length. 34; Wing, 17.40: Bill, 2.50: Tarsus, 



This species ranges throughout North i\merica. Its 

 breeding- phice is unknown, but is probably in the far 

 North. It ranges in winter south to the Greater An- 

 tilles. It is not a common bird in Florida, but speci- 

 mens occasionally occur there. It has been taken in 

 Kev West and a number of times on the west coast. 



CHEN C/CRULE5CEN5 {Linn.). 

 Blue Goose. 



Head and neck white or buff; dusky gray on 

 the neck and back, shading into whitish on the 

 under parts ; wings ashy gray, the rump and 

 upper tail coverts grayish white or white ; some 

 of the quills and tail feathers dusky, showing 

 white on the edges; primaries are black. 



The immature bird of tliis species has the 

 head and neck grayish brown, shading into dull 

 white on the chin. 



Length, 30; Wing, 16; Hill. 2.20: Tarsu.s. 3.10. 



The habits of this species are but little known, and for a long time it 

 was supposed to be the young of the Snow Goose. 



