284 
SNOW GOOSE. 
larly near Old Duck Creek, in the state of Delaware. They feed 
on the roots of the reeds there, tearing them up from the marshes 
like hogs. Their flesh, like most others of their tribe that feed 
on vegetables, is excellent. 
'I’he Snow Goose is two feet eight inches in length, and five 
feet in extent; the bill is three inches in length, remarkably thick 
at the base, and rising high in the forehead; but becomes small 
and compressed at the extremity, where each mandible is fur- 
nished with a whitish rounding nail; the colour of the bill is a 
purplish carmine; the edges of the two mandibles separate from 
each other in a singular manner for their whole length, and this 
gibbosity is occupied by dentated rows resembling teeth, these 
and the parts adjoining being of a blackish colour; the whole 
plumage is of a snowy whiteness, with the exception, first of 
the fore part of the head all round as far as the eyes, which is 
of a yellowish rust colour intermixed with white, and second, 
the nine exterior quill feathers, which are black shafted with 
white, and white at the root, the coverts of these last, and also 
the bastard wing, is sometimes of a pale ash colour; the legs and 
feet of the same purplish carmine as the bill; iris dark hazel; 
the tail is rounded, and consists of sixteen feathers; that and the 
witigs when shut, nearly of a length. 
The bill of this bird is singularly curious; the edges of the 
upper and lower gibbosities have each twenty-three indenta- 
tions, or strong teeth on each side; the inside or concavity of 
the upper mandible has also seven lateral rows of strong pro- 
jecting teeth; and the tongue, which is horny at the extremity, 
is armed on each side with thirteen long and sharp bony teeth, 
placed like those of a saw with their points directed backwards; 
the tongue, turned up and viewed on its lower side, looks very 
much like a human finger with its nail. This conformation of 
the mandibles, exposing two rows of strong teeth, has probably 
given rise to the epithet Laughing, bestowed on one of its 
varieties; though it might with as much propriety have been 
named the Grinning Goose. 
The specimen from which the above figure and description 
