172 ANAS HYPERBOREA. 



others of their tribe that feed on vegetables, is excel- 

 lent. 



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 furnished 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 winjr, 

 are 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 indentations, or strong teeth, on each side ; the 

 inside or concavity of the upper mandible has also 

 seven lateral rows of strong projecting 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 miyht with as much propriety have been 

 named the grinning goose. 



The specimen from which the above description 



