298 ANATID.E : SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. 



AMERICAN WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. 



ANSER ALBIFRONS GAMBELI (Hartl.) Coues. 



Chars. Bill smooth ; the laminae moderately exposed ; tail normally 

 of 16 feathers. Under parts white or gray, extensively blotched 

 with black ; back dark gray, with paler or brownish edgings of 

 the feathers ; upper tail-coverts white ; head and neck grayish- 

 brown, the forehead conspicuously pure white (in the adult ; 

 dark in some states) ; bill pale lake ; feet orange, with pale 

 claws. About 27.00 long; wing, 16.00-18. oo; tail, 5.00-6.00; 

 tarsus, 2.75-3.00 ; middle toe and claw about the same. 



A rare spring and fall migrant. The authorities are 

 agreed upon the rarity of this Goose in New England, 

 and some, like Coues, consider it probably of exceptional 

 occurrence only. We have found no record for Rhode 

 Island, Connecticut, Vermont, or New Hampshire ; and 

 our only intimation of the presence of the bird in Maine 

 is .afforded by manuscript additions to Mr. Boardman's 

 Catalogue of 1862, in the possession of Mr. Purdie. As 

 to Massachusetts, Audubon gave the bird in 1839 

 (Synopsis, p. 272). Allen remarks that some years ago 

 he found specimens in the Boston market supposed to 

 have been taken in Massachusetts (Bull. Essex Inst, x, 

 1878, p. 26). According to Dr. Brewer, who records a 

 specimen in immature plumage, taken at Gloucester, 

 this Goose was more common thirty or forty years ago 

 than it is now, as appears to be the case with many 

 others of our water-fowl (Bull. Nutt. Club, ii, 1877, p. 46). 

 In his list of 1875, Dr. Brewer marks it "rare, migra- 

 tory" (Pr. Bost. Soc., xvii, 1875, p. 447). 



