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ANSER ALBIFRONS GAMBELLI (Ridgw). 



AMERICAN WHITE FRONTED GOOSE. 



Specific Character. — Prevailing colour brownish gray, this uniform on the 

 head and neck and becoming much darker on the flanks ; feathers of the mantle, 

 wings, sides, and flanks distinctly bordered terminally with pale brownish ash 

 sometimes approching grayish white ; upper edges of the upper layer of flank 

 feathers pure white, producing a conspicuous white stripe when the feathers are 

 properly adjusted. Breast and abdomen grayish white, mixed more or less with 

 irregular spots and blotches of black, sometimes scattered and isolated but oftener 

 more or less confluent. Anal region, crissum and upper tail coverts immaculate 

 pure white ; rump brownish slate. Greater wing eoverts glaucous gray tipped with 

 white ; secondaries black, their edges narrowly white ; primaries slaty black, grow- 

 ing ashy basally ; primary coverts glaucous gray. Tail brownish slate broadly 

 tipped with white, the feathers narrowly skirted with the same. Front of the 

 head to base of the bill and about half way across the lores and forehead including 

 the anterior border of the chin white, bordered behind by brownish-black, which 

 gradually fades into the grayish brown of the head and neck. Bill reddish, the 

 nail white ; feet reddish. 



Total length about 27.00 inches; wing, 14.50 to 17.25; culmen, 1.40-2.35; 

 carsus 2.60-3.10 ; middle toe, 2-35-2.70. Tail feathers 16-18 in number. 



Habitat. — The whole of North America breeding far northward. Prof. Baird 

 says: "The American " white fronted or "Laughing goose," is a resident during the 

 summer months in high. Arctic regions migratory in spring and fall, and in winter 

 diffused over all the southern portions of North America, being more abundant 

 in the central and western regions, and comparatively rare on the Atlantic 

 coast." It is a casual visitor in Ontario. 



