Mr. A. Strickland on the British Wild Geese, 123 



Goose, and not being properly acquainted with the real Bean 

 Goose, was induced to institute a new species, under the name 

 of the Pink-footed Goose. Though I was satisfied from the first 

 that this was an erroneous view of the matter, and that this was 

 really a fictitious species (being the young of the true Bean 

 Goose, and further observations have entirely confirmed my 

 convictions), still Mr. Bartlett had the merit in some degree of 

 drawing the distinction between the Long- and Short-billed 

 Goose. But the real Bean Goose still remained undescribed. This 

 bird, the true Segetum or Bean Goose, is distinguished by its 

 short and strong bill — its depth at the base being nearly two- 

 thirds of its length, — and by its migratory habits — differing in 

 that respect from all our other geese, arriving periodically every 

 autumn, spreading during the day-time over the stubbles and 

 clover-fields on the wolds and other open districts, rising like 

 clock-work in the evening, and winging their way in long strings 

 to the sand-banks in the Humber and other safe retreats for the 

 night, returning as punctually in the morning to their feeding- 

 grounds. This bird differs from the Pink-footed Goose in being 

 larger, having a stronger bill and lighter plumage; but these 

 differences are the result of age, not of species, and a careful 

 examination of the numerous flocks on the wolds, as well as the 

 individuals killed out of them, will confirm this. 



The next bird to be considered is the Long-billed Goose, 

 figured and described by Mr. Yarrell, Mr. Gould, and Mr. 

 Morris under the name of Segetum^ or Bean Goose. This is 

 distinguished by having the bill exactly twice the length of the 

 depth at the base — a proportion quite different from that of the 

 Short-billed Goose. 



Before the beginning of this century, when the carrs of York- 

 shire were the resort of countless multitudes and numerous spe- 

 cies of wild-fowl, giving employment to numbers of decoy-men, 

 fowlers, and carr-men, I understand it was stated there were two 

 species of Geese frequenting and breeding in the carrs, known 

 by these people by the name of the Grey-lag and the Carr-lag. 

 What the Grey-lag was is well known, as fortunately that bird 

 retains the name originally given to it by the fowlers. What 

 the Carr-lag was, it is probably impossible now to demonstrate ; 

 but I have every reason to think it was this Long-billed Goose — 

 a bird that resided and bred in the carrs along with the Grey- 

 lag, and like that is no longer to be found in these districts, and, 

 as far as I know, is not at present to be found in any part of this 

 country, and is now one of our scarcest British birds, or almost 

 a lost species. This bird is distinguished from the Short-billed 

 or Bean Goose by its entirely different habits, and, as before 

 stated, by its long bill. It may be thought by some that this 



