i8 



Geese of Europe and Asia 



clutch is rarely large, but I have nowhere succeeded in finding exact data on this point. 

 In August the young birds become fledged, and somewhat later the old ones finish moulting, 

 so that by the beginning of September the majority are already capable of moving south, 

 although belated broods sometimes remain in their hatching-grounds until October. 



Very interesting are the details of a case of crossing a gander of this species, taken in 

 England, with a common domestic goose, from which goslings were reared. These details 

 were given by Mr. J. E. Harting in the Zoologist for 1878 and 1881. 



GREATER SNOW-GOOSE 



Chen nivalis, Forster 

 Bolshoi bely gus (Buturlin) ; bolshoi poly amy gus (Buturlin). 



Note. — If it should prove that both this snow-goose and the lesser species occur in Russia, probably some of the native names, cited for 



the latter, would refer also to the present species. 



English. — Greater Snow Goose. 



Anas nivalis, Forster, Phil. Trans., lxii. p. 413 (1771) (Hudson's Bay). 

 Anas hyperborea, Gmelin, Syst. Nat., ii. p. 504, p. 54 {partim) (1785). 

 Anser hyperboreus, Bonnaterre, Enc. Meth., i. p. 111 (1790); Pallas, Zoogr. Ross.-As., ii. p. 227 (partim) (resp. 



Fret. Huds.) (181 1); Audubon, Orn. Biogr., iv. p. 562, pi. 381 (1838); Buturlin, Dikie Gusi R. I. 



Zhurn. " Psov. i Ruzh. Okh.," 1901 ; id., separ., p. 10; id., Tabl. Opr. Plastinchatokl. " Psov. i Ruzh. 



Okh.," 1900 ; id., separ., pp. 5 and 6 ; Menzbier, Pt. Ross., i. p. 723 (1895). 

 Chen hyperboreus, Gray, Hand-List of Birds, iii. p. 75, No. 10570 (1871); Baird and Ridgway, Water Birds of 



N. America, i. p. 439 [partim), 1884. 

 Chen hyperboreus nivalis, Ridgway, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., ii. p. 107 (1884); Baird and Ridgway, op. at, ii, 



p. 440 (1884). 

 Anser hyperboreus nivalis, Seebohm, Hist. Brit. Birds, iii. p. 490 (1885); Buturlin, Sinopt. tabl. Okh. Pt. R. L, 



1 90 1, pp. 41 and 42. 

 Chen hyperborea nivalis, Ridgway, Man. N. American Birds, p. 115 (1887). 



Adult and Young Birds 



These are not distinguished from the preceding species in plumage and colour, but 

 merely differ in dimensions, which considerably exceed those of Chen hyperboreus. 



Total length 

 Wing 

 Culmen 

 Tarsus 

 Median digit 



30-38 in. ( = 762-965 mm.). 

 1 7-3 5-I7-50 in. ( = 44-44! mm.). 

 2.55-2.70 in. ( = 65-69 mm.). 

 3-I5-3-50 in. (=80-89 mm.). 

 2.60-2.80 in. ( = 66-71 mm.). 



Although these dimensions are given by different authors, it must be supposed, 

 according to the views of Mr. Leffingwell, 1 that specimens exist of smaller dimensions, 



1 Shooting on Upland, Marsh, and Stream, Chicago, 1890, p. 314. 



