93 
Kennard (1927, pp. 85-93) states that his investigations go to show 
that the greater snow goose breeds only in northwestern Greenland and 
adjacent lands, migrating south along the easterly side of Baffin island 
to Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. Considering that Anser 
nivalis of Forster is a synonym of Anser hyperboreus of Pallas, Kennard 
has renamed this snow goose of the Atlantic coast, Chen atlantica. 
38. Chen caerulescens (Linnaeus), blue goose. 
The blue goose occurs on Baffin island, but apparently is rather rare. 
Constable F. Fielder informed the writer that he saw a brownish grey 
goose with white head and neck, flying alone to the southwest over Pang- 
nirtung fiord on June 22, 1924. This bird apparently is referable to this 
race. At Nettilling lake, on June 8, 1925, a flock of thirty-six geese passed 
northward over camp, thirty-two of which were blue geese and the re- 
mainder snow geese. During the five months spent in the interior no other 
blue geese were observed. 
On June 6, 1926, many flocks of geese were seen migrating over cape 
Dorset, in which numerous blue geese were observed. One flock of some 
two hundred individuals was composed, about half and half, of blue 
geese and snow geese. At Aitken lakes, northwest of cape Dorset, on 
July 19, 1925, two blue geese in the moult were collected. They were 
associating with lesser snow geese. Their measurements are as follows: 
Number 
Length 
Culmen 
Weight 
Ins. 
Ins. 
Lbs. 
21101 
29-8 
2-40 
6 
21102 
28-5 
2-40 
5 
On specimen No. 21101 the whole abdomen from vent to lower breast 
is pure white. Anteriorly and against the flanks the contrast is strong, 
but spotted and blotchy. It is probably the occurrence of such birds 
as this that has given rise to the postulated identity of the blue and snow 
geese. Specimen No. 21102 is soft, light greyish below, blending with the 
breast and flanks as in normal plumage. 
Hantzsch (1914) does not mention this species in his journal, although 
in his collections there was one dark specimen with twelve white birds. 
This specimen was described in detail by Hesse (1915, pp. 162-166) under 
caerulescens- form.” It was taken in the vicinity of Kangidli, southern 
Nettilling lake, July 27, 1910. 
Three blue geese were collected in 1922 by the MacMillan expedition 
in the region of Bowdoin harbour. 
A consensus of Eskimo reports is that the blue geese breed in Foxe 
land in southwestern Baffin island, northeast of cape Dorset, and west 
of Amadjuak lake. 
39. Anser albifrons gambeli Hartlaub. white-fronted goose. 
Kumlien (1879, p. 99) records the species as in Cumberland sound in 
1877-1878. He writes: “Not observed in any numbers about our winter 
harbour, but undoubtedly occurs in abundance on the fresh water lakes. 
This is probably the goose that the Eskimo take in such great numbers 
64460—7 
