lOO SNOW GOOSE. 



the Hudson's Bay Company, whose opportunities of practical obser- 

 vation in Hudson's Bay, the great locality of the Snow Goose, have 

 been very considerable. In a paper published in the "Ibis," vol. ii, 

 p. 253, entitled "Becollections of the Swans and Geese of Hudson's 

 Bay," Mr. B. denies that A. ccerulescens is the young of A. hyperhoreus. 

 He says, "The friendly intercourse that exists between these Geese 

 (Snow Geese) and the Blue Wavies, the Anser ccerulescens, has perhaps 

 induced some to suppose that they were merely varieties; but this is 

 a mistake. The young White Wavies arrive from the north with their 

 parents, without mixture of other Geese in the flocks; and they have 

 the same white garb as the old birds, but with the head as if it had 

 been soiled with rust of iron, and the bill, as is well known with 

 young birds, tender, soft, and compressible; while, on the other hand, 

 A. C(srulescens comes down upon the eastern coast also in perfectly 

 distinct flocks, the young birds having a more difl'used and darker blue 

 colour, as well as being of smaller size, with the beak more tender. 

 About this there can be no mistake. In the spring James's Bay is 

 frequently crossed by both species of Wavy at Capes Jones and Hen- 

 rietta Maria; and occasionally two or three Blue may be seen in a 

 large flock of White on the Albany shore, while two or three White 

 may also be observed accompanying the full flocks of Blue on the 

 east main side; but this is not singular, as their cry is almost the 

 same, and they are certainly closely-allied species — but not varieties." 



These observations seem to throw much light upon this hitherto 

 somewhat obscure question. 



If Mr. Barnston is correct in the inference he has drawn, and I 

 must say I think there is every reason to consider that he is, then 

 we must add another bird to the European list, as there can be no 

 doubt that A. coirulescens has been found as frequently in Europe as 

 the Snow Goose. 



The Snow Geese breed in great numbers in the wastes of Arctic 

 America, frequenting, according to Hichardson, the sandy shores of 

 rivers and lakes, and are very watchful, employing one of their number 

 usually as a sentinel to warn them of any approaching danger. 



The eggs are yellowish white, and, according to Nuttall, a little 

 larger than those of the Eider Duck, their length being three inches, 

 and their greatest breadth two. 



"The young fly about the close of August, and the whole depart 

 southward about the middle of September. Early in November they 

 arrive in the iliver Delaware, and probably visit Newfoundland and 

 the coasts of the Eastern States in the interval, being occasionally seen 

 in Massachusetts Bay. They congregate in considerable flocks, are 



