BIRDS OF NEW YORK 229 



is often a inisty tinge on the head and belly. Young birds have the head 

 and neck dark grayish brown and the bill and feet dusky. 



Length 25-30 inches; wing 15-17 ; bill 2.1-2.28, depth of bill at base 1.37 ; 

 tarsus 3-3.25; middle toe and nail 2.77; outer toe 2.62; inner toe 2.12; 

 rear toe .67. 



Blue snow goose, Blue-winged goose. Blue wavy. White-headed blue 

 brant, or White-headed goose, as this bird is called by gunners in different 

 localities, is one of the rarest waterfowl which visit the waters of New York 

 State. Many ornithologists have considered it merely the young of the 

 Snow goose, but at the present time the consensus of opinion seems to be 

 that it is a perfectly good species. The amateur may distinguish it by the 

 white head and bluish wings and rump, since the young of the Snow goose 

 is never known to have a white head when in dark plumage. Its habits 

 and notes resemble those of the Snow goose and its breeding range is supposed 

 to be somewhere in the Hudson bay region. 



Several specimens of the Blue goose taken within the State have been 

 preserved in museums as follows : 



Shinnecock bay, L. I. L. I. Hist. Soc. Col. Dutcher, Auk, 10: 270 



Amityville, L. I. Nov. 22, 1893. 9 . (Chichester). Dutcher Collection 



Cayuga, N. Y. Apr. i, 1896. cJ' ? . Foster Parker. Collection of State Museum 



Schenevus, N. Y. Mar. 23, 1898. Collection of State Museum 



Amagansett, L. I. Mar. 21, 1887. (Edwards). Collection of Lucas & Buck, Sag Harbor. 



Dutcher 

 Miller's Place, L. I. Apr. 28, 1883. A flock of 10 seen. (Arthur H. Helme). Dutcher 



Anser albifrons gambeli (Hartlaub) 

 American White-fronted Goose 



Plate 21 



Anser gambeli Hartlaub. Rev. Mag. Zool. 1852. 7 



Anser albifrons DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 349, fig. 236 



Anser albifr on s g a m b e 1 i A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 2. 1895. No. 171a 



al'bifrons, Lat., with white forehead; gam'beli, of William Gambel 



Description. Adult: Forehead white, bordered behind with black; 

 upper parts brownish ash ; breast and belly brownish white broadly banded 



