490 BRITISH BIRDS. 



ANSER HYPERBOREUS AND ANSER HYPERBOREUS NIVALIS. 

 LESSER SNOW-GOOSE and SNOW-GOOSE. 



(PLATE 61.) 



As is also the case with many other species of this genus, there appear to 

 be a larger and a smaller race of the Snow-Goose having more or less 

 distinct geographical ranges. The dimensions of the two races are as 

 follows : 



Wing. Bill. 



Anser nivalis . . 17 to 18| inches. 2'38 to 2'65 inch. 



Anser hyperboreus. 15 to 17| 1*95 to 2' 28 ,, 



The examples which have been obtained in our islands are said to belong to 

 the smaller race, although the geographical distribution of the species 

 appears somewhat at variance with the fact. The synonymy of the two 

 races is as follows : 



ANSER HYPERBOREUS. 



LESSER SNOW-GOOSE. 



Anser hyperboreus, Pall. Spicil. Zool. vi. p. 25 (1769) ; et auctorum plurimorum 

 (Temminck), (Degland 8f Oerbe), (Baird, Brewer, $ Ridgway), (Sounders), 



&c. 



Anas hyperboreus (Pall.), Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 504 (1788). 



Chen hyperborea (Pall.), Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 563. 



Anser albatus, Cass. Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. Philad. 1856, p. 41. 



Chen albatus (Cass.), Ettiot, New 8f Unfig. B. N. Amer. ii. pi. 42 (1869). 



Anser hyperboreus, vai: albatus (Cass.), Coues, Key N.-Amer. B. p. 282 (1872). 



Chen hyperboreus albatus (Cass.), Ridgivay, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1880, p. 202. 



ANSER HYPERBOREUS NIVALIS. 



SNOW-GOOSE. 



Anser niveus, Briss. Orn. vi. p. 288 (1760). 



Anas nivalis, Forst. Phil. Trans. Ixii. p. 413 (1772) ; et auctorum plurimorum 



(Baird, Breiver, Sf Ridgway), &c. 



Tadorna nivea (Briss.), Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. p. 854 (1831). 

 Anser hyperboreus, apud Dresser, Coues, &c. 



The Snow-Goose (whether of the large or small race is not yet satisfac- 

 torily determined) is probably a more frequent visitor to the British Islands 

 than is generally supposed. As is the case with several other American 

 species, it has only hitherto been captured in Ireland, although it is said 

 that a Snow-Goose was seen in the autumn of 1884 off the coast of Cum- 

 berland. This interesting species was first made known as a visitor to the 



