THE SNOW GOOSE. 
119 
THE SNOW GOOSE. ( Anas hjperborea.') 
This species, called on the sea-coast the Ked 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 Delaware, 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 others of their 
tribe, that feed on vegetables, is excellent. 
The 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 fore- 
head, but becomes small and compressed at the extremity, 
where each mandible is furnished 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 occu- 
pied 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, 
