8 TEIE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



When satisfied that they are secure, they rest or preen their 

 plumage, but when driven off by the tide immediately begin to 

 call and rise with a mighty rush of wings and babel of voices. 



Many birds reach the west coast about the third week in 

 September, but the skeins come in gradually and it is usually 

 the end of October before the winter flocks are complete. 

 Emigration begins in March, and most have left before the 

 end of April. As soon as they arrive the birds visit the fields, 

 gleaning in the stubbles in the early morning and at dusk, 

 but when forced by circumstances to avoid the cultivated land 

 they crop the grass on the saltings : they are always shy and 

 nervous, and the approach of a man sends them off "honking" 

 to the banks. 



The Pink-footed Goose was long confused with the much 

 larger Bean, but in the majority of examples the colour of the 

 bill is noticeably darker than the legs. Ridgway's "vinaceous 

 pink " was the shade of the bill of most birds that I have 

 examined. In one bird the pale pink legs were distinctly 

 tinged with vermilion. The head and neck are seal brown, the 

 upper parts greyish brown, darkest on the wings and scapulars, 

 and with bars formed by the pale feather tips ; the rump is 

 brown. The breast is brown, the belly suffused with grey 

 shading to pure white. The irides are dark brown. The 

 young bird is darker. Length, 27-28 ins. Wing, 16*5-1 7*5 ins. 

 Tarsus, 2*8 ins. 



Snow-Goose. Chen hyperborcus (Pallas). 



As a winter visitor from the Arctic of eastern Asia and 

 western America the Snow-Goose (Plate 10) has been reported 

 so frequently as to claim a place in our avifauna, though it is 

 always rare and uncertain. Two forms occur in America, the 

 Lesser C. h. hypcrboreus being the western race, and the 

 Greater Snow-Goose, C. h. nivalis (Forster), breeding in Green- 



