172 
ANAS IiyPERBOREA. 
others of their tribe that feed on vesfetahles, is 
lent. , 
The snow jroose is two feet eight inches in length, »>! 
fire feet in extent ; the bill is three inches in leug® 
remarkably thick at the base, and rising high in • 
forehead, but becomes small and compressed at 
extremity, where each mandible is furnished with 
whitish rounding nail ; the colour of the bill I* ^ 
purplish carmine ; the edges of the two mandihh, 
separate from each other in a singular maimer for th* j 
whole length, and this gibbosity is occupied by dental ^ 
rows rescmbliug teeth, these and the parts adjoin'''^ 
being of a blackish colour ; the whole plumage A 
a snowy whitcuess, with the exception, first, of 
fore part of the head all round as far as the eyes, 
is of a yellowish rust colour intermixed ivith 
and, second, the nine exterior quill-fcathers, 
are black, shafted n ith white, and white at the rqn J 
the coverts of these last, and also the bastard U'inK' 
are sometimes of a pale ash colour; the legs 
feet of the same purplish carmine as the bill; '^*1 
dark hazel ; the tail is rounded, and consists of sixt«^i 
feathers ; that and the wings, when shut, nearly ' 
length. 
The bill of this bird is singularly curious ; the 
of the upper and lower gibbosities have each to'O'V'j 
three indentations, or strong teeth, on each side ; * ^ 
inside or concavity of the upper mandible has 
seven lateral rows of strong’ projecting teeth ; and • 
tongue, which is horny at the extremity, is armed 
each side with thirteen long and shai'p bony te®*j 
placed like those of a saw, with their points direet 
backwards ; the tongue, turned up and viewed on .’i| 
lower side, looks very much like a human finger ^ 
its nail. This conformation of the mandibles, expos" - 
two rows of strong teeth, has probably given rise 
the epithet laughing, bestowed on one of its vario^* J 
though it might with as much propriety have hr' 
named the grinning goose. 
The specimen from which the above descrip 
itioh 
