34 WATER FOWL. 



Goose, as the Blue, or Blue Snow Goose, Bald-Headed 

 Goose, White-Headed Goose, Oie Bleu, and Blue Brant 

 in Louisiana, and in the north where all Snow Geese are 

 called Waveys, as the Blue Wavey. It is a very hand- 

 some bird in its adult summer dress, the handsomest in 

 my opinion of all our Geese, and doubtless could be 

 domesticated and become an ornament to our farmyards. 



CHEN C^ERULESCENS. 



Geographical Distribution. — Hudson Bay, through interior of 

 North America, along the valley of the Mississippi to the Gulf of 

 Mexico. Very rare on the coast of Maine, but not found farther 

 south on the shores of the Atlantic, nor anj'where on the Pacific. 



Adult. — Head and upper part of neck, white; sometimes a 

 blackish brown line extends from top of head along middle of 

 hind neck. Rest of neck, breast, back, and wings, grayish 

 brown. Wing coverts, and rump, bluish gray. Secondaries, 

 blackish brown, edged with white. Primaries, blackish brown. 

 Flanks, grayish brown ; feathers, tipped with pale brown. Under 

 parts, white or whitish; upper and under tail coverts, whitish. 

 Tail, brownish gray, edged with white. Bill, pale pinkish; nail, 

 white; a black line along the edges of the maxilla and mandible. 

 Legs and feet, reddish color. Total length, about 28 inches; 

 wing, 16; tarsus, 3-/,^; culmen, 2^^^. 



Young. — Like the adult, but with the head and neck dark 

 grayish brown; chin only white. 



