2 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



characters is apt to mislead. Passing " skeins " of grey geese 

 usually fly too high and fast for identification, and "gaggles " 

 feeding or resting are too alert to permit close scrutiny. Even 

 in the hand a bird, especially if immature, may puzzle an expert 

 by its variation from type ; disputes over species, sub-species, 

 and races are never ending. 



The typical characters of the Grey Lag are lavender-grey 

 shoulders, lower back and rump, and flesh-coloured white- 

 nailed bill and legs. The Bean-Goose, which approaches it in 

 size, has a brown rump, its legs are pink, and its bill black and 

 orange. From the White-fronted Goose, with orange, white- 

 nailed bill and orange legs, it may be told by its pale shoulders 

 and rump ; the Pink-footed has a dark rump, though its 

 shoulders are blue and its legs pale and fleshy, but its bill is 

 black and yellow and the terminal nail black. These characters 

 look simple, but immaturity and individual variation have led 

 to errors. 



The origin of the name is obscure. The New Oxford 

 Dictionary supports the view of Prof. Skeat that it was the 

 goose that lagged behind when others migrated, but Mr. 

 Harting suggests that it is derived from the Old English lea, a 

 field, and others have cited the Middle English lac^ a lake. 

 An old sporting term for a flock of geese was a lag. 



The general habits of all grey geese are similar ; they are 

 normally diurnal feeders, cropping grass and gleaning grain. 

 When, however, the fields are disturbed by farmers or others, 

 or on moonlight nights, they adapt themselves to circumstances, 

 and after spending the day on the banks or tide-line, flight 

 inland at dusk. On the coast the uncovered banks are their 

 usual nocturnal haunts, and inland the gaggles sleep in some 

 open country or quiet water ; at daybreak they go off to feed, 

 flying in ordered lines or in chevron formation. If forced to 

 remain in the estuar)- or on the shore during the day they are 

 unsettled and restless, skeins repeatedly taking short flights to 



