■NATATORES — AKATIDiE — ANSER. 349 



THE WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. 



Anser albifrons. 



plate cvi. fig. 236. 



(CABINET OP THE LYCEUM.) 



Anas albifrons, GmeliN. While-fronted Goose, Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 548. 



Anser id. Bechst. Bonaparte, Ann. Lye. N. Y. Vol. 2, p. 376. Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. 466. Aud. 



B. of A. Vol. 6, p. 209, pi. 380. Nuttall, Man. Ornith. Vol. 2, p. 346. Giraud, Birds of 



Long island, p. 297. 



Characteristics. Brownish ; beneath whitish varied with black ; frontlet and throat white, 

 margined with blackish: bill and feet carmine. Length, 27-0. 



Description. Bill, at the base, equal to more than half its length. Teeth of the upper 

 mandible triangular, distinct : five or six ranges of teeth on the palate. First quill shorter 

 than the third. Tail short, rounded, of sixteen feathers. 



Color, from the specimen in the Lyceum of Natural History : Frontlet and base of the 

 lower mandible whitish or yellowish white, margined with blackish ; the white beneath only 

 apparent on the sides of the lower mandible. Head and neck brown : dorsal plumage lighter 

 brown ; the feathers edged with whitish. Secondaries tipped with white. Vent, upper and 

 under tail-coverts white : wings and tail deep blackish brown ; the latter tipped with white. 

 Breast and belly with the sides whitish, blotched with deep black. Bill and feet carmine red-; 

 the latter tinged with yellowish. "In winter, beneath pure white" (Temminck). 



Length, 27-0-28-0. 



This is a very rare species in this State. The specimen described above was shot, May 

 9, at Babylon, Suffolk county. It ranges through the interior across the continent, and is 

 found in the Western and Southern States during the winter. It ranges northwardly to the 

 67th parallel, and is more abundant on the eastern shores of this continent. Occurs in 

 Europe and America. 



