/ 



44 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



and in fall from October 10 to November 20. According to Mr. 

 Hy. Nehrling the Ruddy Duck was formerly a rare breeder in 

 southwestern Missouri. 



Subfamily Anserinae. Geese. 

 169. Chen hyperborea (Pall.). Lesser Snow Goose. 



Anser hyperboreus. Anser albatus. Chen hyperboreus albatus. Snow 

 Goose. White Brant. 



Geog. Dist. — Northeastern Asia and western North America 

 to the Mississippi Valley. Breeds within the Arctic circle from 

 Liverpool Bay to Alaska. In winter from British Columbia 

 through the interior valleys to southern California, Mexico, 

 Texas and Louisiana. 



In Missouri the Snow Goose, often called Brant, is a fairly 

 common, generally distributed transient visitant from the end 

 of February (February 25, 1884, St. Louis) to the middle of 

 April (April 16, 1902, New Haven; April 17, 1894, Vernon Co.), 

 chiefly in March, and in fall from October 10 to November 20. 



169a. Chen HYPERBOREA NIVALIS (Forst.). Greater Snow Goose. 



Anas hyperboreus. Chen hyperboreus nivalis. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern North America, east of the Mississippi 

 River except the region north of Virginia, migrating in spring 

 through Manitoba and eastern Assiniboia, in fall through western 

 Assiniboia and Alberta. Breeds in Arctic regions and winters 

 along Atlantic coast, the Gulf States, and irregularly in the 

 Greater Antilles. 



In Missouri a transient visitant of probably regular occurrence, 

 together with intermediate forms, among troops of the former 

 subspecies. Typical specimens have been secured by Mr. Chas. 

 K. Worthen of Warsaw, 111., several times on Lima Lake, and Mr. 

 E. W. Nelson stated that he found the two subspecies in about 

 equal numbers in Illinois, sometimes in separate flocks, or mixed 

 with the other subspecies, and also with the Blue Goose. Dr 

 Rud. M. Anderson writes in his Birds of Iowa on page 183 : ''On 

 the basis of these measurements (78 skins collected in Iowa) 

 only ten or twelve per cent, of the specimens from Iowa can defi- 

 nitely be considered as Greater Snow Geese, the remainder being 

 the Lesser variety, with every grade of intermediates between. 

 In the face of such perfect intergradation, the attempt to difTer- 



