ANATID.E THE SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. 119 



b. Lower parts deep grayish brown or brownish gray (often but little paler than up- 

 per parts), abruptly contrasted with white of anal region; white cheek-patches 

 usually separated by a black throat-stripe; white collar round lower neck usually 

 very distinct. 



3. B. canadcnsis minima. Smallest (wing less than 16. 00 inches, culmen less than 

 1.35) ; tail-feathers 14-16; length about 23.00-25.00; wing 13.60-14.50; culmen 0.95-1.15; 

 tarsus 2. 40-2. 75. 



B. Head, neck, and chest black, the middle of the neck with a white patch on eajh side, 

 or a wide collar of the same, interrupted behind. 



4. B. bernicla. Wing. 12.30-13.60 inches; culmen, 1.20-1.50; tarsus, 2.10-2.40; middle 

 toe 1.70-2. 10. White of the neck confined to two broken (streaked) patches on 

 each side. Above, brownish gray, the feathers narrowly tipped with grayish 

 white; wing-coverts nearly uniform, more bluish gray; remiges, rump, middle 

 upper tail-coverts, and rectrices, brownish black;- terminal and lateral upper 

 tail-coverts, crissum, and anal region white; lower parts pale gray, the feathers 

 tipped with grayish white, ubrubtly and strongly contrasted with the black of 

 the chest and fading insensibly into the white of the anal region. 



There is probably no more perplexing problem in North 

 American ornithology than the relationship of the three forms 

 which are named above as races of J3. canadensis. Comparing 

 a very large true J2. canadensis with a small B. minima, no one 

 probably would for a moment think of considering them the 

 same species ; yet in a large series of specimens so many exam- 

 ples occur which seem to connect both these extremes with the 

 middle-sized B. hutchins-ii, that the chain appears to be com- 

 plete; not only is the size thus variable, but every character of 

 coloration also appears to be unreliable. It may be that these 

 intermediate specimens are hybrids, but whether such is the 

 true explanation or not cannot now be determined. 



Branta canadensis (Linn.) 



CANADA GOOSE. 



Popular synonyms. Common Wild Goose; Big Wild Goose; Honker; Beef Goose (North 



Carolina) ; Bay Goose (Texas) ; Cravat Goose. 

 Anas canadensis LINN. S. N. ed. 10, i, 1758,125; ed. 12, i, 1766, 198. WILS. Am. Orn. viii. 



1814, 52, C7, f. 4. 

 Anser canadensis VIKILL. Euc. Meth. 1823, 114. Sw. & EICH. F. B.-A. ii. 1831, 468. NUTT. 



Man. ii, 1834, 349.-AUD. Orn. Biog. iii, 1835, 1 ; v, 1839, 607, pi, 201 ; Synop. 1839, 270 ; B. Am. 



vi. 1843, 178. pi. 376. 

 Bernicla canadensis BOIE. Isis,1826.921.-Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, xlix. 764; Cat. N. Am. B. 



1859, No. 567. RIDGW. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 594.-CouES, Key, Check List, 2d ed. 



1882, No. 702. 

 Branta canadensis BANNIST. Proc. Aca<l. Nat Sci. Phila. 1870. 131. COUES, Key, 1872, 2; 



Check List, 1873, No. 485; Birds N. W. 1874, 554. HENSH. Zool. Wheeler's Exp. 1875, 



471.-A. O. U. Check List, 1886. No. 172.-Bn>ow. Orn. 40th Par. 1877, 620; Man. N. Am. 



B. 1887, 117. 



