184 Barnacle Goose 



breakdown ; but if undisturbed, they spent the day on the low moor, 

 feeding in the wet swamps. They usually moved about hke the 

 Grey-lags, in small parties of seven to twenty, a flock of forty or 

 fifty was quite unusual. From the stalkers' point of view, T think 

 this species was the worst of the three to deal with. 



Barnacle Goose (Bemicla leiicopsis, Bech). 



Neither of the Black Geese (Brent and Barnacle) requires any 

 special description as to the soft parts ; the bill, legs and feet being 

 black. 



The Barnacle arrives at S. Uist somewhat later than the White- 

 front, the first flock putting in their appearance towards the end of 

 October. The numbers become largely augumented throughout 

 November and December by fresh arrivals, so that bv the end of the 

 month there are perhaps 3,000 Barnacles or more on the whole 

 island, considerably exceeding in number both species of Grey Geese 

 added together. 



They are very local in their habits, and confine themselves 

 entirely to the " Macher" (sand-dunes) bordering the shore, unless 

 driven inland by frost. The\' are essentially dwellers by the sea ; 

 they are eminently gregarious, feeding together in close packs of 

 100 to 1,000 on the open plains, and are very noisy, whether on the 

 wing or on the ground. The cry is harsh and somewhat Duck-like 

 when heard from a single bird, but on the wing almost every bird 

 insists on doing his share of talking, so that the volume of sound 

 when seven or eight hundred Geese rise at once, is simply deafening. 

 Unlike most Geese, they also call a good deal while they are feeding. 



Their food consists entirely of the poor grass growing in the 

 sandy soil of the Macher. This grass is largeh' mixed with moss, 

 and as they pull the grass up by the roots, they loosen all the neigh- 

 bouring moss at the same time. The places where they have been 

 feeding are, therefore, marked by quantities of this turned-up moss, 

 the grass having disappeared, looking as though a number of moles 

 had been running just under the surface and lifting the moss. 



I do not think that the Barnacle and Grey Geese get on very 

 well together. Until the frost came, the Barnacle confined them- 

 selves entirely to the Macher ; when they were frozen out 

 and driven inland to the bogs and cultivated land, they came in 

 contact with both the Grey-lag and White-front. On one occasion, 

 a few Barnacle settled near a flock of Grey-lags on the Askernish 

 farm, and, as I watched, the latter kept on bullying them and driving 

 them off their pitch. Presently, a large flock of Barnacle came down 

 and joined the others, and this settled the Grey-lags, who could not 

 deal with an army of Barnacle, so they made off themselves. White- 

 fronts and Grey-lags, on the other hand, may often be seen feeding 

 in close proximity in perfect amity. 



