6 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



The North American bird, often described as a sub-species, 

 winters so far south as the Gulf of Mexico. 



The White-fronted Goose, at any rate when mature, is easy to 

 identify ; it is smaller than the Grey Lag and the white at the 

 base of the bill is a broad and conspicuous band. The beak is 

 orange with a white nail, distinguishing it from the Bean and 

 Pink-foot, and the legs are darker than those of the Grey Lag ; 

 the only species with which it can be confused is the smaller 

 and darker Lesser White-fronted Goose. There are broad 

 dark bars on the breast and belly, and the note, from which 

 it gets its name of " Laughing Goose," is distinct, louder and 

 harsher than the metallic cry of the Pink-foot. W^hen the two 

 are flying together the White-fronted is easily picked out by its 

 frontlet and dark flanks. Immature birds, however, have less 

 white on the forehead, and in some, young females probably, 

 there are no bars ; the nail maybe not white but brown, though 

 never black. 



The habits are similar to those of other greys ; it feeds on 

 grass and clover, but is perhaps more of a marsh than cornfield 

 species, and may be seen in estuaries moving with the tide, 

 flighting to the marshes and fields at high tide and returning 

 with the ebb. It arrives and departs at the same seasons as 

 other greys, and is not infrequent in inland marshes and river 

 valleys ; the bird is most abundant in December and January. 



The plumage is ashy brown with pale edges to the feathers 

 of the back, and the under parts are crossed by dark brown or 

 black bars and blotches ; the flanks are dark brown, the under 

 tail-coverts white. The legs and bill are orange, the nail white, 

 the irides dark brown. Length, 27-28 ins. Wing, 16-17 ins. 

 Tarsus, 2'6 ins. 



Lesser White-fronted Goose. Anser erythropus (Linn.). 



This small goose was added to the British list by Alfred 

 Chapman, who shot one in September, 1886, near Holy Island. 



