ANSERINE — THE GEESE — CHEN. 
439 
Chen hyperboreus. 
THE SNOW GOOSE. 
Anser hyperboreus, Pall. Spic. Zool. VIII. 1767, 80, 25, pi. 65 ; (Eastern Siberia) Zoog. Rosso-As. 
II. 1826, 227. — Sw. & Rich. F. B. A. II. -1831, 467. —Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 344. — Aud. 
Orn. Biog. IV. 1838, 562, pi. 381 ; Synop. 1839, 273 ; B. Am. VI. 1843, 212, pi. 381. — Baird, 
B. 1ST. Am. 1858, 760 ; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 563. — Coues, Key, 1872, 282 ; Check List, 
1873, no. 480 ; B. N. W. 1874, 548. 
Anas hyperboreus, Gmel. S. 1ST. I. ii. 1788, 504. — Wils. Am. Orn. VIII. 1814, 76, pi. 68, f. 3. 
Chen hyperboreus, Boie, Isis, 1822, 563. — Ridgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 591. — Coues, Check 
List, 2d ed. 1882, no. 695. 
Anas nivalis, Forst. Philos. Trans. LXII. 1772, 413 (Severn R.). 
Tadorna nivea, Biiehm, Vog. Deutschl. 1831, 854. 
White Brant, Lawson, Carol. 147. 
Snow Goose, Penn. Arct. Zool. II. 1790, 479. — Lath. Synop. VI. 1785, 445. 
Anser albatus, Cass. Pr. Philad. Acad. 1856, 41. — Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 925. 
Chen albatus, Elliot, Illustr. Am. B. II. 1869, pi. 42. 
Anser hyperboreus, var. albatus, Coues, Key, 1872, 282 ; Check List, 1873, no. 480a. 
Anser hyperboreus, b. albatus, Coues, Birds N. W. 1874, 549.. 
Chen hyperboreus albatus, Ridgw. Pi-. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 202 ; Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 591a. 
— Coues, Check List, 2d ed. 1882, no. 696. 
Hab. The whole of North America, 
breeding far north ; more rare on Atlantic 
coast than westward. Greenland ; casual in 
Europe. South to Cuba. 
Sp. Char. Adult: Entire plumage, ex- 
cept the primaries, snow-white, the head 
sometimes stained with orange-rufous ante- 
riorly ; primaries deep black, fading basally 
into grayish, the primary coverts and alula 
being hoary ash. Bill purplish red, the nail 
whitish, and the intertomial space black ; 
iris dark brown ; eyelids whitish ; feet pur- 
ple- or orange-red, the soles dingy yellowish. 
Young : Above, including the head and neck, 
pale cinereous, the feathers of the dorsal re- 
gion more whitish on their edges ; wing- 
coverts and tertials dark cinereous centrally, 
their edges broadly pure white ; secondaries 
mottled cinereous, skirted with white ; pri- 
maries as in the adult. Rump, upper tail- 
coverts, tail, and lower parts, immaculate 
snowy white, the tail and breast tinged with 
pale ash. Head usually more or less tinged 
with orange-rufous, this deepest anteriorly. 
Bill and feet dusky. Downy young not seen. 
Total length, about 30.00 inches ; wing, 
15.00-18.50 ; culmen, 1.95-2.80 ; depth of 
maxilla, at base, 1.15—1.50 ; tarsus, 2.80- 
3.50 ; middle toe, 2.10-2.90. 
There can be little question that two 
forms of the Snow Goose exist in North 
America, distinguished by their size and also their geographical distribution. The smaller, to 
which the name hyperboreus properly belongs, and of which albatus, Cass., is a pure synonyme, 
