568 SNOW GOOSE. 
Length of an individual in this plumage, kept four years, to end of 
tail 26 inches, to end of claws 25; extent of wings 55; bill along the 
ridge 21, from frontal angle 24; tarsus 274 ; hind toe 3%, its claw +4 ; 
middle toe 21, its claw 74. Weight 2 lb. 13 0z. The bird very poor. 
In an adult male preserved in spirits, the roof of the mouth is 
moderately concave, with five series of strong conical papille directed 
backwards. The posterior aperture of the nares is linear, margined 
with two series of extremely slender papillae. The marginal lamellz 
of the upper mandible are 25, of the lower about 45. The tongue is 
2 inches 5 twelfths long, nearly cylindrical, with strong pointed papille 
at the base, and on each side a series of flattened, sharp lamelle, di- 
rected backwards, together with very numerous bristle-like filaments. 
It is fleshy, has a soft prominent pad at the base above, and towards 
the end has a median groove, the point rounded, thin, and horny. The 
cesophagus, which is 17 inches long, has a diameter of 9 twelfths at the 
upper part, and at the lower part of the neck is dilated to 1 inch. The 
proventricular glands are cylindrical, simple, and arranged in a belt 
nearly 1 inch in breadth. ‘The other parts were removed. 
The reddish tint on the head affords no indication of the age of the 
bird, some individuals of all ages having that part pure white, while 
others have it rusty. The same remark applies to our two Swans. 
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