1917] Swarth-Bryant: White-fronted Goose in California 215 
the series here compared, it seems justifiable to apply to the smaller 
American race the name of the common European subspecies, Anser 
albifrons albifrons. 
The differences existing between the two subspecies may be sum- 
marized as follows: 
Anser albifrons albifrons 
Size small (wing 384-422); bill small (culmen 44-52); tail feathers, six- 
teen; coloration in general paler, head and neck grayish; naked skin 
at edge of eyelid, grayish brown. 
Anser albifrons gambeli 
Size large (wing 420-475); bill large (eulmen 53-62) ; coloration in gen- 
eral darker, neck dark brown, head blackish; tail feathers, male eighteen, 
female sixteen; naked skin at edge of eyelid, yellow or orange. 
In colors of ‘‘soft parts,’’ before the birds are skinned, there were 
no distinguishable differences between the two series in eyes, bill or 
feet. The eyelids of the two varied as already pointed out. Accord- 
ing to Stejneger (1885, p. 146) appreciable changes occur within an 
hour after death, and as probably none of our specimens came to hand 
until after a lapse of at least twenty-four hours, the colors as we noted 
them, particularly of the bill, may be quite different from those of 
the living bird. There were great changes, however, in these parts 
after the prepared skins had begun to dry. “Some faded and some 
darkened. 
An adult male of Anser a. gambeli (no. 27134) was colored as 
follows: Upper mandible, general ground-color, light buff tinged with 
purplish along culmen and at the edges; lower mandible, upper edge 
of rami, purplish, lower edge, yellowish; naked skin between rami, 
light buff; feet (tarsus, toes and web), ochraceous salmon. The color 
of eyes in all the specimens was dark brown. 
As of general interest it is worth while to record here the fact that 
all the birds taken in January were molting extensively, over head, 
neck and body. There was evidently a general freshening of plum- 
age, apparently involving everything but flight feathers to a greater 
or less extent. Newly appearing black feathers on the lower parts 
were particularly noticeable. 
The present study is based entirely upon specimens collected in 
winter. Not a single breeding bird is available for comparison, un- 
fortunately, so that we are unable to indicate the summer ranges of 
the two North American forms. 
The following theoretical breeding ranges are suggested by the 
facts thus far ascertained, though demonstration of the truth of the 
