FAMILY XXV. 
LAMELL O S O DENT A T1 , Illiger. 
GENUS L XV. — ANAS, Litmus. 
SUBGENUS I. AESER , BRISSON. 
254 . ANAS EYPERBORBA , GMELIN AND WILSON. 
SNOW GOOSE. 
"WILSON, PLATE LX VIII. FIG. V. MALE. 
EDINBURGH COLLEGE MUSEUM. 
This bird is particularly deserving* of the farther 
investigation of naturalists; for, if I do not greatly 
mistake, English writers have, from the various appear- 
ances which this species assumes in its progress to 
perfect plumage, formed no less than four different 
kinds, which they describe as so many distinct species, 
viz. the snow goose, the white fronted or laughing 
goose, the bean goose, the blue-winged goose, all of 
which, I have little doubt, will hereafter be found to be 
nothing more than perfect and imperfect individuals, 
male and female, of the snow goose, now before us. 
This species, called on the sea coast the red goose, 
arrives in the river Delaware from the north, early in 
November, sometimes in considerable flocks, and is 
extremely noisy, their notes being shriller and more 
squeaking than those of the Canada, or common wild 
goose. On their first arrival, they make but a short 
stay, proceeding, as the depth of winter approaches, 
farther to the south; but from the middle of February 
until the breaking up of the ice in March, they are 
frequently numerous along both shores of the Dela- 
ware, about and below Reedy Island, particularly 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 
