SNOW GOUOSE. 567 
Plumage close, full, compact above, blended beneath, as well as on 
the head and neck, on the latter of which it is disposed in longitudinal 
bands, separated by narrow grooves; the feathers of the lateral parts 
small and narrow, of the back ovato-oblong, and abruptly rounded, of 
the lower parts curved and oblong. Wings rather long, broad; primaries 
strong, incurved, broad, towards the end tapering, the second longest, 
but only a quarter of an inch longer than the first, which scarcely ex- 
ceeds the third; the first and second sinuate on the inner web, the se- 
cond and third on the outer. Secondaries long, very broad, rounded, 
the inner curved outwards. ‘Tail very short, rounded, of sixteen broad 
rounded feathers. 
Bill carmine-red, the unguis of both mandibles white, their edges 
black. Iris light brown. Feet dull lake, claws brownish-black. The 
general colour of the plumage is pure white ; the fore part of the head 
tinged with yellowish-red; the primaries brownish-grey, towards the end 
blackish-brown, their shafts white unless toward the end. 
Length to end of tail 312 inches, to-end of claws 333, to end of 
wings 313, to carpus 14; extent of wings 62; wing from flexure 194; 
tail 63; bill along the ridge 23, along the edge of lower mandible 3; ; 
bare part of tibiag; tarsus 32; hind toe 4, its claw #4; middle toe 3, 
its claw 73. Weight 63 lb. 
Young Female, in first winter. Plate CCCLXXXI._ Fig. 2. 
The colours of the young bird, in its first plumage, are unknown ; 
but in its second plumage, in autumn and winter, it presents the ap- 
pearance exhibited in the plate. The bill is pale flesh-colour, its edges 
black, and the unguis bluish-white ; the feet flesh-colour, the claws 
dusky. The head and upper part of the neck are white, tinged above 
with grey, the lower part of the neck all round, the fore part of the 
back, the scapulars, the fore part of the breast, and the sides, blackish- 
grey; paler beneath. The hind part of the back and the upper tail- 
coverts, are ash-grey; as are the wing-coverts; but the secondary 
coverts are greyish-black in the middle; and all the quills are of that 
colour, the secondaries margined with greyish-white ; the tail-feathers 
dusky-grey, broadly margined with greyish-white. The dark colour 
of the fore part of the breast gradually fades into greyish-white, which 
is the colour of the other inferior parts, excepting the axillar feathers, 
and some of the lower wing-coverts, which are white. 
