ANSBRIX.E — THE GEESE — DENDHOCYCNA. 479 



river. Mr. Bannister also speaks of the strongly offensive odor of its flesh, stating 

 that skinning it leaves a taint upon the hands which can hardly be removed by wash- 

 ing. He considers the flesh so strong as to be wholly imtit for food, though the 

 Indians and the Eskimos eat it. 



According to the observations of Mr. EUiott, this species visits the Prybilof Islands, 

 but only as a straggler, and sometimes landing in such an exhausted condition that 

 the natives capture whole flocks in open chase over the grass, the birds being unable 

 to use their wings for flight. He adds that he foimd the flesh of this bird — contrary 

 to report — free from any unpleasant flavor, and in fact very good. The objection- 

 able quality is only skin-deep, and may be got rid of by due care in the preparation 

 of the bird for the table. 



Mr. E. Adams ("Ibis," 1878), in liis Xotes on the liirds observed by him on Nor- 

 ton Sound, near the mouth of the Yukon, refers to this bird as the " White-headed 

 Goose," its name in the Eski dialect being Xud-jdv-llk. He first met with it at Port 

 Clarence, and was told by an t)ld hunter tliat it came in very small numbers every 

 year, and was excellent eating. Coming suddenly upon a flock of eight, on the 16th 

 of May, he could not get near them, but was able to examine them through a glass 

 as they were standing in the water, just at the edge of a lake, dressing their feathers. 

 They reminded him very much of the Barnacle Goose, but were larger, had more 

 white, and no black on their neck, and had red bills and feet. Their local name is 

 supposed to be derived from an Indian word signifying a cap. 



The eggs of this species taken by Mr. Dall, June 20, 1873, in Kusilvak Slough, 

 at the mouth of the Yukon, vary in length from 3..3.3 inches to 3.40, and in breadth 

 from 2.90 to 3.10. In shape they are of an unusually elongated form, nearly equal 

 at both ends ; in color white, but with a general dirty brown aspect, caused bj' minute 

 discolorations. 



Genus DENDROCYCNA, Swaixsox. 



Dendronessa , Wagl. Isis, 1832, 281 (tyi)e, Anns arcuata, Cvv. iiec Swaixson, 1831). 



Dendrocygna, Swains. Classif. B. II. 1837, 365 (same U'pe). 



1 Leptotarsis, Ettox, Monog. Anat. 1838, 29 (type, L. Ei/toni, Govlv). 



Char. Bill longer than the head, the edges nearly parallel, deep through the base, depressed 

 terminally, the nail large anil much hooked ; mandible almost wholly concealed behind the over- 

 hanging edge of the maxilla ; ueck and legs long, the tarsus nearly equal to or longer than the 

 nuddle toe, and reticulated in front (as in the .Swans and true Greese) ; wings rather short, 

 rounded, the primaries not projecting beyond the ends of the inner secondaries ; second to fourth 

 quills longest, and nearly equal ; tail sbort, almost hidden by the coverts. Habits, arboreal. 



The Tree Ducks appear to be more nearly related structurally to the Sheldrakes (Tadorna, Cas- 

 arca, etc.) and the Goose-like genus Chenalopcx, than to the true Ducks on the one hand or Geese 

 proper on the other ; and with these forms perhaps constitute a distinct group. 



The genus Dendrocycna is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the 

 earth, some of the species having a very anomalous range ; for instance, the D. fulva is common in 

 Mexico and the southern border of the United States, and in the southern part of tropical South 

 America (South Brazil, Buenos Ayres, etc.), but is apparently absent from the entire intervening 

 territory ; but what is still more remarkable, the same species is said to be found in Madagascar 

 and Southern India. The D. vkluata of South America is also a common bird of Western Africa.^ 



The American species oi Dendrocycna may be distinguished as follows : — 



1 See Scl. k Salv. P. Z. S. 186i, p. 299. 



