ANSERIFOEMES. 
The subfamily Anseranatinm includes the extraordinary Australian 
genus Anseranas alone ; this bird is of large size nearly approaching the 
Cygnince, but has the neck not so long. It has a huge knob on the head 
and from the base of the culmen to beyond the eyes and the frontal 
portion of this knob the adult is bare of feathers, giving the bird a rather 
displeasing appearance. Its legs and feet are, however, more wonderful 
still, as the former are very long and stout while the toes are long and 
only half»webbed, and a very long hind toe completes the wonder. 
Stejneger contrasted it with the majority of Ducks and Geese with 
Family rank. 
The subfamily Plectropterhm was formed to include a number of 
abnormal forms, neither Ducks nor Geese, the Australian representatives 
being two birds classed in the genus Cheniscus. This genus consists of 
very small birds having the apparent structure of large Geese, but vividly 
colored, which Geese are not. One of the Australian birds is simply an 
outlier of an Indian species, but the other is a peculiar species confined to 
Australia. A remarkable fact is that in the Catalogue of Birds in the 
British Museum another species, Nettapus auritus (Boddaert), an African 
form, is associated with these two, and the three species constitute a 
remarkable little group called Pygmy Geese, or by the Australians, Goose- 
Teal. Thus of the three species only one occurs in Africa, only one in 
Asia, yet two are habitants of Australia. 
The subfamily CereopsincE once more individualises the Anseres of 
Australia, as this subfamily only contains the monotypic genus Cereopsis, 
confined to Southern Australia and which closely resembles no other 
Goose. Shufeldt, who has lately investigated the anatomy of this peculiar 
Goose, concludes that apart from the characters of the skull it differs 
little from other Geese, but the skull is so different that subfamily rank 
must be accorded it. The peculiar cere-bearing bill, and the very strong 
legs and feet distinguish the form at sight. \ 
The subfamily CJienonettince was introduced to include a number of 
birds somewhat duck-like in aspect, with a bill formed after the manner 
of geese. The subfamily seems ill-constituted, the inclusion of the genus 
Cyanochen calling for reconsideration upon geographical grounds alone, 
while it seems possible that Chenonetta would bear divorce from Chloephaga. 
The last-named genus contains six species confined to southern South 
America and the Falkland Islands, while Chenonetta is another of the 
peculiar isolated Australian Anserine forms. A quick idea of its pecu- 
liarities can be formed by the vernacular names under which it is known, 
viz., Wood-Duck or Maned-Goose. I anticipate that anatomical research 
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