606 ANSER BRACHYRHYNCHUS. 



brown, the breast much paler and tinged with grey ; abdomen 

 and lower tail-coverts white, as are the sides of the body 

 behind, and the upper tail-coverts. The feathers of the sides 

 are dark ash-grey, the anterior terminally margined with light 

 yellowish-brown, the posterior with white. The feathers of 

 the fore part of the back and the scapulars are ash-grey, termi- 

 nally edged with brownish-white ; those of the hind part of 

 the back deep ash-grey. The wing-coverts, alula, and primary 

 coverts are light ash-grey, the former margined with white, 

 as are the secondary coverts, of which the inner are darker. 

 The primaries are grey at the base, greyish-black toward the 

 end ; the secondaries black, narrowly margined with white, 

 the inner five grey, more broadly margined. The tail feathers 

 are ash-grey, largely terminated, and narrowly edged with 

 white ; nearly the whole of the outer feathers of the latter 

 colour. 



Length to end of tail 31 inches ; extent of wings 58 ; bill 

 along the ridge 2 ; along the edge of lower mandible 2| ; wing 

 from flexure 18 ; tail 5j ; tarsus 2^ ; hind toe and claw £ ; 

 second toe and claw 2j ; third toe and claw 3 ; fourth toe and 

 claw 2f . 



Female. — The female is similar to the male, but smaller. 



Length to end of tail 26 inches ; extent of wings 60 ; wing 

 from flexure 16^ ; bill along the ridge 1^- ; tarsus 2£ ; middle 

 toe 2^, its claw -j^-. 



Variations. — Considerable variations occur as to size. 

 In adult birds the plumage varies little, the tints being merely 

 a little darker or lighter. Frequently there are some white 

 feathers close upon the base of the upper mandible in adult 

 as well as young birds. The bill varies in tint from bright 

 carmine to purplish-red, and the black at its base is of vari- 

 able extent, sometimes being confined to the ridge of the 

 upper and the basal part of the lower mandible ; the unguis 

 always remaining of a black tint. The colour of the feet is 

 bright carmine, or carmine with an orange tint, or purplish- 

 red. The claws have more or less greyish-blue, or whitish, 

 at the base. 



