BLUE-WINGED GOOSE. 103 



PALMIPEDES. 



Family ANATID^^. (Bonaparte.) 



Genus Anser. (Brisson.J 



BLUE-WINGED GOOSE. 



Anser ccsrulescens. 



Anser ccerulescens, Linn^us. 



" sylvesMs fi'eti hudsonis, Brisson. 



" hyperhoreus, Jun., Auctor. 



L''oie des Esqui7naux, Buffon. 



Blue-winged Goose, Edwards. 



Blue Wavy, Of the Americans. 



Specific Characters. — General colour grey, white below; wing primaries 

 and lower part of back clear ash blue. — Linn^us. 



Length thirty-one inches; beak two inches; tail five inches and a half; 

 bare part of thigh seven lines ; tarus three inches ; middle toe three inches ; 

 external toe two inches ten lines; internal toe two inches nine lines; 

 hinder toe nine lines. The wings, when closed, extend to three fourths 

 of the length of the tail. — Brisson. 



Hitherto confounded with, the young of the Snow Goose, I have 

 much pleasure in restoring this bird to the place which was assigned 

 to it by Linnaeus and that equally accurate observer Brisson. In 

 the notice of the last bird, the Snow Goose, I have given the 

 authority upon which I have done this. Mr. Barnston speaks from 

 his own practical knowledge, gained on the spot, which, of all others 

 in the world, is that most frequented by these birds. He says, 

 ''About this there can be no mistake," namely, that A. Jiyperboreus 

 and A. coerulescens are distinct, though closely-allied species. The 

 latter bird he says is *'of all the Geese enumerated the least known, 

 and it is possible frequents in summer only James's Bay and the east 



