Anas erythropus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 197.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 843.
Anser leucopsis, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 377.
Barnacle Goose, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 355.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCXCVI. Fig. 1.
Bill much shorter than the head, higher than broad at the base, somewhat conical, slightly depressed towards the end, narrowed and rounded at the tip. Upper mandible with the dorsal line sloping, the ridge broad and flattened, the sides sloping, the edges soft and obtuse, the oblique marginal lamellæ short, transverse, about thirty on each side, besides minute anterior ones; the unguis roundish, convex, striato-denticulate on the inner edge. Nasal groove elliptical, commencing at the base and extending to the middle of the bill, parallel to the ridge, filled by the soft membrane of the bill; nostrils lateral, submedial, longitudinal, narrow-elliptical, open, pervious. Lower mandible straight, with the angle very long, rather wide, and rounded, the sides sloping rapidly upwards, the edges soft and obtuse, with about thirty-eight distinct lamellæ on an inflected plane.
Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long and slender. Body full, slightly depressed. Feet short, stout, placed a little behind the centre of the body; legs bare a little above the tibio-tarsal joint. Tarsus short, a little compressed, covered all round with angular reticulated scales, which are smaller behind. Hind toe extremely small, with a very narrow membrane; third toe longest, fourth a little shorter, but longer than second all the toes reticulated above at the base, but with narrow transverse scutella towards the end; the three anterior connected by a reticulated membrane, the outer with a thick margin, the inner with the margin extended into a two-lobed web. Claws small, arched, rather compressed, except that of the middle toe, which is bent obliquely outwards, depressed, with a curved edge. Wings of moderate length, with an obtuse protuberance at the flexure.
Plumage close, rather short, compact above, blended on the head, neck, and lower parts of the body. The feathers of the head and neck very narrow, of the back very broad and abrupt, of the breast and belly broadly rounded. Wings when closed extending about an inch and a quarter beyond the tail, acute; primaries very strong, curved, the second longest; secondaries long, broad, rounded. Tail very short, rounded, of sixteen stiff rounded and acuminate feathers.
Bill, feet, and claws black. Iris dark hazel. Anterior part of the head, including a broad space above the eye, the sides of the head, and the throat, white; the feathers margining the bill, and a line from the bill to the eye, curving below the lower eyelid, and running along the upper, brownish-black. Neck all round glossy black, of which colour are the anterior or dorsal feathers, the scapulars, and the wing-coverts, towards their extremities, while their bases are ash-grey, and their terminal margins white. The shorter feathers on the middle of the back are similar; those on the rump and the tail-feathers deep black. The quills are greyish-black, darker towards the tips, the outer webs more or less tinged with ash-grey. The breast, sides, and abdomen greyish-white, the upper feathers of the sides with more grey; the upper and lower tail-coverts, and the sides of the rump, pure white.
Length 27 inches, extent of wings 4 feet 8 inches; bill along the ridge 1 1/2, in depth at the base 10/12, in breadth 9/12; tarsus 2 10/12, middle toe and claw 2 10/12; wing from flexure 17; tail 6; the feet extend beyond the tail 3 1/2 inches. Weight 4 lb. 1 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCXCVI. Fig. 2.