THE AMERICAN WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. 577 



No. 278. 

 AMERICAN WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. 



A. O. U. No. 171a. Anser albifrons gambeli (HartL). 



Description. — Adult : Forehead and region about the base of bill white, — the 

 latter narrowly, and bordered immediately by dusky ; remainder of head and neck 

 all around warm grayish brown ; the same color continued on back, fore-breast, and 

 sides, but varied by lighter brownish gray tips of squarish-ended feathers, thus 

 presentmg a curious shingled appearance ; under parts fading from grayish brown 

 of breast to pure white posteriorly; the breast and belly irregularly spotted or 

 heavily blotched with sooty black ; the primaries grayish at base, blackening distally 

 and with shafts mostly white ; the tips of the greater coverts white, and the superior 

 edges of the main course of side feathers (overlapping folded wing) also white; 

 upper and lower tail-coverts, and lower belly well up on flank, and sides under 

 folded wing, white ; axillars and lining of wing uniform dusky ; tail brownish dusky 

 increasingly white tipped on lateral feathers ; bill orange-yellow with white nail ; 

 feet orange or reddish. Immature : "Similar to adult, but fore part of head dusky 

 instead of white; lower parts without black markings, and nail of bill dusky" 

 (Ridgw.). Length 27.cx)-30.oo (685.8-762.); wing 16.85 (428.); tail 6.40 

 (162.6) ; bill 2.10 (53.3) ; tarsus 2.91 (73.9). 



Recognition Marks. — Large Brant size; speckled or black-blotched bellv ; 

 rich grayish brown color; white partial mask of face. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, of dried grass 

 or tundra moss, feathers, and down. Eggs, 6-7, dull greenish yellow, with obscure 

 darker tints. Av. size, 3.10 x 2.30 (78.7 x 58.4). 



General Range. — North America (rare on the Atlantic Coast), breeding far 

 northward ; in winter south to Cape St. Lucas, Mexico and Cuba. 



Range in Ohio. — Not common migrant. Locally and sparingly resident in 

 winter. 



THIS Goose may justify the possession of webbed feet by the fact that 

 it spends the night on the water, but so far as getting food is concerned, it 

 "boards out." It is almost exclusively vegetarian in its diet, and resorts 

 during migrations and in the winter to inland fields, where it nibbles vora- 

 ciously at the tender blades of grass and winter wheat, or gleans scattered 

 grains of corn. Beech-nuts and acorns vary its fare in middle latitudes, 

 while berries of various sorts form a staple article wherever obtainable. In 

 the great grain fields of California, these birds were formerly so abundant as to 

 be a real menace to the crops, and to necessitate the constant vigilance of watch- 

 men. But those days have passed, along with those in which the Wild 

 Pigeons broke down the limbs of our fathers' orchard trees. 



In distant flight the White-fronted Geese cldsely resemble the more 

 common Canada Geese, moving as they do in wedge-shaped companies, with 

 self-appointed leaders. Their cry is harsh and loud, a rapid iteration of the 

 syllable wah, from which they have won the name "Laughing Geese." 



