eau. Soiuo 

 islands in 

 on islands 

 t was noth- 

 ity t)f down 

 in one case 



as ("Ibis," 

 it numbers, 

 m the '.itlier 

 They keep 

 eetly north, 

 ives eoUeet- 

 Miehalaski. 

 ey are rank 



t, and after- 

 e on islands 

 tic coast, on 

 ions west of 



o. 9483) are 

 2.75 to 2.90 



)rn. Biog. III. 



H. 1859, no. 

 8-i, no. 6t>9. 

 2, 283 ; ChcL'k 



iuul Juinaiwi 

 cf. Lawk. 



[^ 



[lortiou of the 

 ])()stc;rii)r oiil- 

 white, with a 

 white, buconi- 

 with grayish 

 iiti'vscapulars, 



WillJ^-COVL'VtS 



liter coverts ") 

 Hdiiig hasally 

 1.20; bill .80 



vo — which is 

 of the iqnier 



ANSERIN/E — THE GEE.SE — DERXICLA. 



475 



pnrts, nil the feathers of the luick, the scaimhirs, mid tlie larger wing-eoverls l)i.ing distinctly, thoifh 

 narrowly, tipped with pale ash, while the more bluish gray at the base of the fi-athers' is every- 

 where more or less distinctly exposed. It is not likely, however, that tliese dilffrenccs will prove 

 constant.! These European skins measure as follows : Wing, 14.90-1(5.00 inches ; culmeii, 1.10- 

 1.45; tarsus, 2.50-.3.(H) ; middli; toe, l.!)0-:2.10. 



The (daini of the liarnacle ( Joose to be included in the North American fauna is 

 based upon its probable constant occurrence in Greenland, and occasional capture 

 along the Atlantic coast. The individual 

 instances of its being taken at long inter- 

 vals and in distant localities may possildy 

 be accounted for by considering them as 

 birds escajied from •onlincnieiit. In a lew 

 instances the occurrence of this bird in this 

 country can be proved to have been caused 

 in till Manner suggested; otlu'r (;ases are, 

 and will perhaps remain, doubtful. 



Holboll states that this Goose in autumn 

 regularly visits the southern part of (rreen- 

 land ; but be docs not believe that it bnuuls 

 cinywhere in that country. I'rofessor Uein- 

 hardt, however, considers these two state- 

 ments inconsistent with each other — and 

 indeed he has been told that a few of the 

 eggs of this (roose have been actually taken 

 in Greenland ; though be is not positive as 

 to the truth of this stateiaent. 



One specimen was obtained by j\fr. 15. I{. Ross near Rupert House, on James's 

 Bay, at the southern end of Hudson's Bay, and is presumed to be tlie first Xorth 

 Anuu'ican specimen ever procured, or at least known to have been taken. Another 

 was shot on the coast of Xova Scotia; but there is no doubt that it was one of 

 several that a short time before hail escaped from the grouiuls of Mr. A. Downs, near 

 Halifax. 



No mention is made of the llarnacle Goose by Dr. Richardson, and it was not 

 noticed either by himscdf or by any of his ])arty. llcarne, however, refers to the 

 occurreiu'c, on Hudson's Ray, of a single specimen of what he styh^s the Rean Goose. 

 He speaks also of seeing this Goose at least three several times ; and it is quite 

 possible that the bird he refers to under this name may be the Rariuicle. 



A second specimen has more recently been taken in (Currituck Sound, N. C. It 

 was killed on the 31st of ()ct(dH>r, 1870, from a blind Avhere ther{> were fifteen or 

 twenty live Geese as decoys, toward whom it was attracted. It was unaccompanied 

 by any other bird. It is not improbable that this may have been a bird escaped from 

 continement. 



Both Nuttall and Bonaparte refer to this sjiecies as being rare and accidental in 

 America ; but unfortunately mention no authority for the statement, and refer to no 



1 Since the above was written there liiis hecii received at the Nationnl Sruseum a lino mounted c.xiiinple 

 of the Barnacle Goo.se, obtained at Jnniaica Bay, Long Island, on Oct. 18, 1870, by Mr. J. KciuIhH, by 

 whom it was kindly presented to the Museum. This example is even more did'crent from the Hudson's 

 Bay one than the European specimens above mentioneii, the whole back being distinctly marked with 

 broad bars of bluish gray. In size it is intermediate, in all its measurements, between the extreme.s 

 as given in the diagnosis on p. 450. 



V 



'• I] 



ii 



'i-'i 



^1 



