THE WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE 251 



THE WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. 



(Anser albifrons gambeli.) 



A rare bird all along the coast line of New 

 England, and in fact, on the entire Atlantic 

 coast, of more frequent occurrence in the West, 

 especially on the Pacific coast in winter. This 

 species breeds only in the far north, all across 

 the American continent, perhaps more abund- 

 antly on the northwestern ranges. 



The sexes are identical in markings, which 

 are as follows: head and neck brownish; a 

 white patch around the base of upper mandible, 

 with a blackish margin behind it. Above dusky 

 gray; below whitish, smirched on the breast 

 with black of varying extent and depth of color, 

 from which marking they are sometimes called 

 "Speckle-bellies," a most classical appellation. 

 The crissum, upper tail coverts and sides of 

 the rump are white. Bill pale pink with white 

 nail. The young of this species is somewhat 

 different: a darker bird, lacking the white on 

 the head and having no black below. The 

 length of this species is from twenty-three to 

 twenty-five inches, extent from fifty-eight to 



