THICK-BILLED GREY GOOSE. 591 



strong ; the tibia bare for about nine- twelfths of an inch; the 

 tarsus compressed, covered all round with angular scales, of 

 which the anterior are sub-hexagonal, flat, with a small cen- 

 tral circular prominence, the posterior rhomboidal. The toes 

 are large, except the first, which is very small, elevated, and 

 free ; the third a little longer than the fourth ; the second 

 considerably shorter; the middle toe with thirty narrow 

 scutella extending nearly its whole length, the lateral simi- 

 larly scutellate, but with small scales on the first phalanx ; 

 the inner having eighteen, the outer thirty-two scutella. The 

 soles flattened and rough ; the inner toe with an expanded, 

 thin-edged, two-lobed membrane ; the interdigital membranes 

 with roundish scales, the inner with its margin straight, the 

 outer concave. The claws are short, strong, slightly curved, 

 obtuse, that of the middle too dilated internally, and rounded. 

 The feathers of the head are very small and short, rounded, 

 and blended ; of the upper part of the neck small linear- 

 oblong, imbricated, and arranged in ridges, with deep inter- 

 vening grooves. The feathers of the fore part of the back 

 and wings very close, large broad, abrupt ; the scapulars 

 very large ; the feathers of the hind part of the back short, 

 rounded, flatter, and less close ; those of the breast ovate, 

 rather small ; of the sides very large and abrupt. The 

 wings are rather long, reaching nearly to the end of the 

 tail, broad ; the quills twenty-six ; the numerals ten, narrow, 

 and rounded ; the secondaries broad, abruptly and obliquely 

 rounded. The second primary is longest, the first three- 

 fourths of an inch shorter, the third a quarter of an inch 

 shorter than the first, the second and third slightly cut out 

 externally, the first and second cut out toward the end inter- 

 nally. The tail is very short, direct, rounded, of sixteen 

 broad, rather rounded but acuminate feathers ; the lateral 

 half an inch shorter than the medial. 



The bill is yellowish-orange, with the upper unguis bluish 

 grey, nearly white, the lower darker. The iris brown. The 

 feet flesh-coloured ; the claws purplish-grey. The head and 

 neck are greyish-brown, the fore-neck and breast gradually 

 shaded into paler, the latter fading into greyish-white ; the 

 hind part of the abdomen and lower tail-coverts, the sides of 



