THE WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE 251 
THE WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. 
(Anser albifrons gambeli.) 
A rare bird all along the coast line of New 
England, and in fact, on the entire Atlantic 
coast, of more frequent occurrence in the West, 
especially on the Pacific coast in winter. This 
species breeds only in the far north, all across 
the American continent, perhaps more abund- 
antly on the northwestern ranges. 
The sexes are identical in markings, which 
are as follows: head and neck brownish; a 
white patch around the base of upper mandible, 
with a blackish margin behind it. Above dusky 
gray; below whitish, smirched on the breast 
with black of varying extent and depth of color, 
from which marking they are sometimes called 
“‘Speckle-bellies,’’ a most classical appellation. 
The crissum, upper tail coverts and sides of 
the rump are white. Bill pale pink with white 
nail. The young of this species is somewhat 
different: a darker bird, lacking the white on 
the head and having no black below. The 
length of this species is from twenty-three to 
twenty-five inches, extent from fifty-eight to 
