THE GREATER SNOW-GOOSE. 249 



food more varied : grasses, shoots of reeds, wild rice, many berries 

 (including those of Empetrum nigrum), snails and insects. 

 Distribution. — British Isles. — Rare vagrant. Ireland. — Three co. 

 Wexford, Nov., 1871. Two (out of seven) caught co. Mayo, Oct., 

 1877 (Saunders, p. 405). One obtained and another seen co. Long- 

 ford, Oct., 1903. Four seen co. Mayo, Dec, 1903, and fourteen 

 Dec, 1906 (cf. Brit. B., n, p. 27). England and Scotland. — Only one 

 obtained (Aug., 1854, Scottish Solway), no doubt same bird as seen 

 previously Cumberland side ; said to have been seen other occasions 

 in Solway (Birds Dumfries., p. 248). Reported as seen Northumber- 

 land, Yorks., and Gloucester winter 1890-1, 1901 and 1906 (Saunders 

 p. 405, and Brit. B., vi, p. 191), Norfolk, autumn, 1909 and 1912, 

 and Essex April and May, 1911, Jan., 1921 (cf. Brit. B., iv, p. 28, 

 v, pp. 25, 139, vi, p. 224), but some of these later examples may have 

 been escapes from captivity or even albinistic A. brachyrhynchus. 

 Distribution. — Abroad. — Eastern arctic Asia and western arctic 

 America. On passage and in winter in western north America, 

 southwards to Lower California and Mexico ; in Asia south to 

 Japan ; in Europe observed in several countries, such as Norway, 

 Holland, France, Heligoland, Germany, Hungary, and probably 

 elsewhere — even, perhaps, in Greece. Replaced by A. h. nivalis in 

 eastern North America. 



294. Anser hyperboreus nivalis (Forst.)— THE GREATER 

 SNOW-GOOSE. 



Anas nivalis Forster, Philos. Trans., lxii, p. 433 (1772 — Severn R., 



Hudson Bay, Canada). 



Chen nivalis (Forster), Sharpe, Bull. B.O.C., x, p. xv. 



Description. — Adult male and female. — Identical in all plumages 

 with A. h. hyperboreus but larger. 



Measurements and structure. — Wing 440-445 mm., tarsus 80- 

 89, culmen 65-69 (fide Alpheraky). Bill larger, stronger and deeper 

 than in A. h. hyperboreus. Other structure as in A. h. hyperboreus. 

 Breeding-habits. — Little definitely recorded but probably does 

 not differ appreciably in habits from previous form. Nest. — Hollow 

 in ground, lined with down mixed with mosses, grass, etc. Eggs. — 

 3 to 5, dull white. Average of 7, 81.8x55.1. Max. : 84.4x54.2 

 and 81 x 57.4. Min. : 79 X 53.2 mm. Incubation. — No reliable data ; 

 but probably by female and single-brooded. 



Food. — Probably very similar to that of Lesser Snow-Goose ; but 

 little of what has been recorded can be definitely assigned to this 

 form. 



Distribution. — Ireland. — One, Belmullet (Mayo) Oct., 1886 (ut 

 supra : cf. R. J. Ussher, List Irish Birds, p. 33). Scotland. — Flock 

 of about 5, one shot Oct., 1920, not preserved, another (immature) 

 shot Feb 18, 1921, near Castle Douglas (Kirkcudbright) (C. W. 

 Phillips, Field, Mar. 5, 1921, p. 299; W. Eagle Clarke, Scot. Nat., 

 1921, pp. 48, 69). 



