Canada goose. The following are the particulars in which it differs:

In colour.-In the Canada goose the white cravat does not extend downwards along the under side of the neck, but is quite abruptly defined, and cut off; in B. leucolama it does, so as to give the appearance not only of a white cravat under its chin, but also a white frill or shirt appearing in front down its black waistcoat. In the Canada goose the white cravat is flecked more or less with blackish specks; in leucolæma it is wholly white. In the Canada goose, the black head in front of, and above the white cravat, is wholly black; in leucolæma it is flecked with an occasional white speck, and most so where it joins the upper mandible both in front and on each side. In the Canada goose the space between the rami of the lower mandible is black or blackish; in leucolama it is pure white. The white on the lower eyelid is comparatively broad and distinct in leucolama; in the Canada goose it is a mere line like a thread.

The general tone of the plumage of the body, both above and below, is considerably paler in leucolama than in the Canada goose-the black primaries having become brown, the brown back having become somewhat fawn-coloured, and the fawn-coloured under side having become dirty white, with a pale bluish or lavender-coloured broad band stretching across the belly between the two thighs.

The black on the neck extends rather a shorter distance down in leucolama than in the Canada goose.

The legs are yellowish-brown, and the interdigital spaces bright yellow in leucolama, instead of being black as in the Canada goose. I believe that in some species of geese the colour of the leg changes according to the age; but this would not appear to be the case in the Canada goose, because Captain Ord informs me that the colour is constantly black, both in old birds and young broods, which he has reared since 1852.

There are also some differences in the relative proportions, which I shall tabulate for the sake of brevity and easier reference, and shall include in the comparison the proportions of the following species supposed to be B. Hutchinsii. The mea

surements are taken from the specimens which I have received from Hudson's Bay, one of each bird, and all these apparently full grown

B. Cana- B. leu- B. Hutdensis. colæma. chinsii?

Inches. Inches. Inches.

Height of upper mandible at the nos

trils,

Length of head, from base of the middle.

of the mandibles to the occiput,

11

1

Length of wing, from carpal joint to end of longest wing feathers,

Length of tarsus,

Length of first phalanx of middle toe, .

There is also a slight difference in the arrangement of the scuta on the phalanges of the Canada goose and leucolama, though not very decided. In the next species this is much more marked.

B. Hutchinsii? Richard and Swain. (Plate I).—The preceding measurements show that this is a much smaller bird, and it will be observed that the proportions are different. The bill is proportionally much smaller, narrower, and deeper, than in the other two. The colour is much the same as in the Canada goose, but darker and richer on the back, and with a greater shade of fawn on the belly, instead of the lavender colour in the Canada goose, owing to the colour of the terminations of the abdominal feathers. The cravatpatch wants the black flecking which Captain Ord informs me he has found to be a constant character in his specimens of the Canada goose.

There is a marked difference in the mode of arrangement of the scuta on the first phalanx of the middle toe. In the two preceding species there are three oblique transverse scuta at the distal extremity, those further back being broken up into polygonal plates; while in this species there are seven broad