GREY-GEESE 353 



ochre ; irides brown, orbits yellow-ochre ; beak pink, 

 nail horn-colour ; weight, 2| lbs., in fair condition. The 

 upper part of head from base of beak to occiput, was much 

 darker brown than the cheeks, throat, and neck, giving the 

 bird a capped appearance. One small white feather alone 

 showed in forehead. Primaries light blue, shading to 

 black at the tips ; bastard-wing light blue ; secondaries 

 black ; wing-coverts pale brown, tipped with white. Back 

 brown, each feather edged paler ; tail nearly black, with 

 white upper and under coverts. Breast warm reddish- 

 brown ; belly grey, dappled and chequered with black 

 all over. Alar expanse, 48 inches ; length, tip of beak to 

 tip of tail, 24 inches, and the toes extended another inch 

 beyond the tail. 



The ordinary white-fronted goose is more addicted to 

 inland resorts than to the coast, and in the north-east is 

 certainly not a common species, only occurring at in- 

 tervals, and in small numbers. In the severe frost of 

 January 1881, a string of eight passed over the punt, 

 so near that we could distinctly see their "barred waist- 

 coats." I refrained from taking the chance with a 

 shoulder-gun, judging, from their low flight, that they 

 were about to pitch ; but they passed right on, loudly 

 cachinnating, never shifting brace, tack, or sheet while 

 in sight, and left us in the lurch — befooled once more ! 



1 must now bring this chapter of doubts, surmises, and 



uncertainties to an end. It is perhaps humiliating to 



admit, but the grey-goose has proved "too many" for us. 



There are others among our winter wildfowl whose intense 



wariness all but sets at naught the most elaborate devices 



of the fowler ; but with these there will occur an odd 



chance when, by some fortuitous combination of favouring 



circumstances, one may work a charge of BB among 



z 



