438 



LAMELLinOSTRAL SWIMMERS - ANSERKS. 



(Hffusfil and (larktT blim color, and Ikmh^ also of a smaller hIzc. In tho spring .lames 

 Hay is Ircqucntly tTossed by l>otli s|i('<'ii's at Cain- .Ioiioh and at Ca\H: llenriettii 

 Maria. Occasionally two or tlircc ot the rimi/mriiis may he seen in ii Hock of tlie 

 Snow (ie»'se on the All)any sliorc, while two or three of the latter may also he Hceii 

 accompanyinfj full tiocks of the rttruU.snii.i on tiie east main shore. This may Ite 

 accounted for hy the similarity of tlieir cry. 



l$y Indian report the threat i)reedin^'-j,'round of the nrniirsirns is the co\nitry lyini,' 

 in the interior from the northeast point of Labrador. Kxtcnsive swamps and im- 

 passahle hogs provail there, and tlie CJeese incubate on the more solid and ilriest 

 tufts, dis|tersed over the nKjrasses, sale from the approach of man or any other than 

 a winged enemy. 



Mr. Jlearne, who wrote a century ago, refers to this as a siiccies distinct from the 

 Snow (.Soose. He speaks of it as Ix'ing of the hame si/e as the latter, and, like it. 

 having hill and legs of a deep flesln'olor, hut with the entire jdumage of a dirty iiliie. 

 n-sendtling old lead, its skin, stripped of its feathers, is (d' the .same color as that nl 

 the Snow (loose, and the Hesh is ecpially good eating. This species, he achls, is sel- 

 dom seen north of Clnirchill Kiver, and is not very common at Fort Vork ; but iit 

 Fort Albany it was much more ph-ntiful than the Snow (lOose. The brceding-jilaccs 

 «»f both species, however, were cipially unknown, even to the most careful and accu- 

 ratt! observer. Hearne could not ascertain that any of their eggs had (!ver been 

 taken, and their winter haunts had, up to his time, remained wh(dly undiscovered. 

 Hirds of this species were not infre(pu'ntly observed to le..<l a Hock of the Snow 

 (leese; awd as they u.sually Hy in angles, it was sometimes quite a striking thing to 

 see a bird of a different color leading the van. The leader is generally the object ol 

 the first sjMirtsman who fires, as this throws the whole Hock into such confusion 

 that some oi the other huntcus fretpiently kill six or sev<'n at a shot. 



So far as is known, this species does not occur on the J'acific coast; Dr. Cooper 

 has never met with it on any part of that coast. 



A(H!ording to Mr. ISoardnum, this (Joose occurs occasionally in the neighborhood 

 of Calais, where it is even more common than the White-fronted sjtecies (Anser Gam- 

 beli). He also informs me that a specimen has been taken at (Jrand Menan. 



It is (juite jirobable that Mr. Audubon, to whom the existence of this species as 

 distincit from the Injpi'rhoirus was unknown, may have referred to it as the gray stale 

 of the Snow (toose, which \w mentions as so very <'ommon in winter al»out tin' 

 mouths of the Mississip])i and along the shores of the ( Julf of Mexico as far as Texas. 

 lie ahso notices the fact that the young remain for sc^veral y«!ars of a dark-bluisli 

 color, and mentions that a friend kept one four years without any change l)cinj,' 

 noticed. 



tlio upper parts. Tlio young would npppnr nt first sight to he. a tlistinfit sjionics, so <li(riTPnt is tlio i)iiftirii 

 of coloration. Tho wliite of the lieail, nock, alulonicii, utid tail-coverts is entirely nlisent, and the bin! i-* 

 of an alnio.st uniform a.shy plumbeous, .slightly darker alM)Ut the hi'nd, and lighter on the abdomen. This 

 plumage is retained until the seeond year at lea.st, as many .s|)e('iinens are pnicnii'd in spring with tlic 

 dark head, neek, and alxlomen still immaeulate ; and these, I think, are young of the preceding year. At 

 the same time si)ci^imcna are foun<l with the dark fi'athers nlmut tho head well mixed with white, ivpri'- 

 Renting the second year. In birds of the third year the white predominates; but not until the fouith iir 

 fifth year docs the plumage become perfect." 



