ORNAMENTAL WATERFOWL. 77 
Egg.—yYellowish white colour; “three inches in length” 
(Richardson). May. Incubation, about a month. 
THE LESSER SNOW GOOSE. 
(Chen Nivalis. Anser Nivalis). 
Four specimens of the Lesser Snow Geese from North 
America were purchased in August, 1901, and placed in the 
duck paddocks of the Zoological Society’s Gardens, Regent’s 
Park, 
ROSS’S SNOW GOOSE. 
(Chen Rossii. Anser Rossii). 
This elegant little Goose, which is distributed all over 
Antarctic America and coming south in winter to California, is 
thus described by Hearne in his ‘“ Journey to the Northern 
Ocean ” :— 
‘‘This delicate and diminutive species of the Goose is not much 
larger than the Mallard Duck. Its plumage is delicately white, except the 
quill-feathers, which are black. The bill is not more than an inch long, and 
at the base is studded round with little knobs about the size of peas, but 
more remarkably so in the male. Both the bill and the feet are of the same 
colour with those of the Snow Goose. This species is very scarce at 
Churchill River, and I believe are never found at any of the southern settle- 
ments, but about two or three hundred miles to the north-west of Churchill 
I have seen them in as large flocks as the Common Wavey or Snow Goose. 
The flesh of this is exceedingly delicate, but they are so small that when I 
was on my journey to the North I ate two of them one night for supper.” 
It is not much larger than an ordinary duck, an adult 
male usually weighing under 3]bs. 
It was first acquired by the Zoological Society in May, 
1903, together with a pair of small Alaska Geese (Bernicla 
minima), This Goose has been successfully bred by several 
