194 THE CANADA GOOSE. 



Canada Goose, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 349. 



Canada Goose, Anser canadensis, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 1; vol. v. p. 607. 



Male, 43, 65. Female, 41. 



Breeds sparingly from the Mississippi to Nova Scotia; abundantly in 

 Labrador, and farther north. In the interior, on the Missouri, and across to 

 the Columbia river. Abundant. Migrates far south in winter. 



Adult Male. 



Bill shorter than the head, rather higher than broad at the base, somewhat 

 conical, dejoressed towards the end, rounded at the tip. Upper mandible 

 with the dorsal line sloping, the ridge broad and flattened, the sides sloping, 

 the edges soft and obtuse, the oblique marginal lamellae short, transverse, 

 about thirty on each side; the unguis obovate, convex, denticulate on the 

 inner edge. Nasal groove oblong, parallel to the ridge, filled by the soft 

 membrane of the bill; nostrils medial, lateral, longitudinal, narrow-elliptical, 

 open, pervious. Lower mandible straight, with the angle very long, narrow, 

 and rounded, the edges soft and obtuse, with about thirty oblique lamellas on 

 a perpendicular plane. 



Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck long and slender. Body full, 

 slightly depressed. Feet short, stout, placed behind the centre of the body; 

 legs bare a little above the tibio-tarsal joint; tarsus short, a little compressed, 

 covered all round with angular reticulated scales, which are smaller behind; 

 hind toe very small, with a narrow membrane; third toe longest, fourth a 

 little shorter, but longer than second; all the toes reticulated above at the 

 base, but with narrow transverse scutella towards the end; the three anterior 

 connected by a reticulated membrane, the outer with a thick margin, the 

 inner with the margin extended into a two-lobed web; claws small, arched, 

 rather compressed, except that of the middle toe, which is bent obliquely 

 outwards and depressed, with a curved edge. Wings of moderate length, 

 with an obtuse protuberance at the flexure. 



Plumage close, rather short, compact above, blended on the neck and 

 lower parts of the body. The feathers of the head and neck very narrow, 

 of the back very broad and abrupt, of the breast and belly broadly rounded. 

 Wings, when closed, extending to about an inch from the end of the tail, 

 acute; primaries very strong, curved, the second longest, the third slightly 

 shorter, the first almost as long as the third, the rest rapidly graduated; 

 secondaries long, rather narrow, rounded. Tail very short, rounded, of 

 eighteen stiff, rounded, but acuminate, feathers. 



Bill, feet, and claws black. Iris chestnut-brown. Head and two upper 

 thirds of the neck glossy black; forehead, cheeks, and chin tinged with 

 brown; lower eyelid white; a broad band of the same across the throat to 



