492 BRITISH BIRDS. 



breadth. On spring migration they pass through Alaska during the last 

 half of May, returning in autumn during the last half of September. 

 Audubon says that they arrive at their winter-quarters in Kentucky in 

 October, and especially remarks that the young birds arrived early in the 

 month, and the adult or white birds about a fortnight later. In its habits 

 it differs very little from the Grey-lag or Bean-Goose. 



The large and small forms of the Snow-Goose are respectively about the 

 same size as the large and small forms of the Bean-Goose. It is not known 

 that there is any difference in colour between the sexes. Adults are pure 

 white, except the primaries, which are black, shading into grey at the base, 

 and the primary-coverts, which are grey. Bill light red ; legs and feet dark 

 red ; irides hazel. Very little is known of the changes of plumage in this 

 species ; but young in first plumage are pale slate-grey on the head, neck, 

 back, and breast; the scapulars and wing-coverts are darker grey with 

 pale edges, and the rest of the plumage is white; bill, legs, and feet 

 olive-brown. 



SNOW-GOOSE. 



