284 SNOW GOOSE. 



larly near Old Duck Creek, in the stale of Delaware. They feed 

 on the roots of the reeds there, tearing them up from the marshes 

 like hogs. Their flesh, like most others of their tribe that feed 

 on vegetables, is excellent. 



The Snow Goose is two feet eight inches in length, and five 

 feet in extent; the bill is three inches in length, remarkably thick 

 at the base, and rising high in the forehead; but becomes small 

 and compressed at the extremity, where each mandible is fur- 

 nished with a whitish rounding nail; the colour of the bill is a 

 purplish carmine; the edges of the two mandibles separate from 

 each other in a singular manner for their whole length, and this 

 gibbosity is occupied by dentated rows resembling teeth, these 

 and the parts adjoining being of a blackish colour; the whole 

 plumage is of a snowy whiteness, with the exception, first of 

 the fore part of the head all round as far as the eyes, which is 

 of a yellowish rust colour intermixed with white, and second, 

 the nine exterior quill feathers, which are black shafted with 

 white, and white at the root, the coverts of these last, and also 

 the bastard wing, is sometimes of a pale ash colour; the legs and 

 feet of the same purplish carmine as the bill; iris dark hazel; 

 the tail is rounded, and consists of sixteen feathers; that and the 

 wings when shut, nearly of a length. 



The bill of this bird is singularly curious; the edges of the 

 upper and lower gibbosities have each twenty-three indenta- 

 tions, or strong teeth on each side; the inside or concavity of 

 the upper mandible has also seven lateral rows of strong pro- 

 jecting teeth; and the tongue, which is horny at the extremity, 

 is armed on each side with thirteen long and sharp bony teeth, 

 placed like those of a saw with their points directed backwards; 

 the tongue, turned up and viewed on its lower side, looks very 

 much like a human finger with its nail. This conformation of 

 the mandibles, exposing two rows of strong teeth, has probably 

 given rise to the epithet Laughing, bestowed on one of its 

 varieties; though it might with as much propriety have been 

 named the Grinning Goose. 



The specimen from which the above figure and description 



