NON-Ii\DIGENOUS BRITISH BIRDS. 



Family ANATID.^. Genus Anser. 



Sub-family ANSERINyE. 



LESSER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. 



Anser albifrons minutus, Naumann. 



(British : Rare autumn and winter migrant.) 



Single Brooded probably. Laying season, June. 



Breeding area : Northern and Western Palaearctic 

 region. The Lesser White-fronted Goose breeds in the 

 northern portions of Scandinavia, across Arctic Russia 

 and Siberia to at least as far east as the valley of the 

 Yenesay. 



Breeding habits: The Lesser White-fronted Goose 

 (which by a slip of the pen in my work on Game Birds 

 and Wild Fozvl I notice I have described as a Northern 

 Nearctic instead of Palcearctic species) reaches its 

 northern, breeding grounds as soon as the ice on the 

 rivers breaks up and the snow melts from the tundras. 

 It is gregarious in winter, but appears to separate into 

 pairs to breed. Of its breeding habits little definite has 

 been recorded, owing probably to its being confused 

 with its larger ally. Indeed I may here take the 

 opportunity of stating that the nesting economy of most 

 of the Geese is very imperfectly known, and a vast 

 amount of work remains to be done by the oologists of 

 the future. It is a hopeless task to attempt to give 

 anything like a full account of the nidification of these 

 birds in the present state of our knowledge. By pointing 

 out our deficiencies I may possibly help to render them 

 perfect. The nest of this Goose is said not to differ 

 from that of allied species. Of the bird's pairing habits 

 nothing is known. 



Range of egg colouration and measurement : 



