ee Sees 
‘ 2 244 
364 
ANSER ALBIFRONS GAMBELLI (Ripew). 
AMERICAN WHITE FRONTED GOOSE. 
Specific Character.—Prevailing colour brownish gray, this uniform on the 
~ head and neck and becoming much darker on the flanks; feathers of the mantle, 
wings, sides, and flanks distinctly bordered terminally with pale brownish ash 
sometimes approching grayish white; upper edges of the upper layer of flank 
feathers pure white, producing a conspicuous white stripe when the feathers are 
properly adjusted. Breast and abdomen grayish white, mixed more or less with 
irregular spots and blotches of black, sometimes scattered and isolated but oftener 
more or less confluent. Anal region, crissum and upper tail coverts immaculate 
pure white ; rump brownish slate. Greater wing coverts glaucous gray tipped with 
white ; secondaries black, their edges narrowly white ; primaries slaty black, grow- 
ing ashy basally ; primary coverts olaucous gray. Tail brownish slate broadly 
tipped with white, the feathers narrowly skirted with the same. Front of the 
head to base of the bill and about half way across the lores and forehead ineluding 
the anterior border of the chin white, bordered behind by brownish-black, which 
gradually fades into the grayish brown of the head and neck. Bill reddish, the 
nail white ; feet reddish. 
Total length about 27.00 inches; wing, 14.50 to 17.25; culmen, 1.40-2.35; 
carsus 2.60-3.10 ; middle toe, 2-35-2.70. Tail feathers 16-15 in number. 
Habitat.—The whole of North America, breeding far northward. Prof. Baird 
says: “The American ” white fronted or “Laughing ¢ goose,” is a resident during the 
summer months in high Arctic regions migratory in spring and fall, and in winter 
diffused over all the southern portions of North America, being more abundant. 
in the central and western regions, and comparatively rare on the Atlantic 
coast.” It is a casual visitor in Ontario. 
