THE PINK-FOOTED GOOSE. 477 



after year, the same spot, to the exckision of other species, 

 which may, nevertheless, be found frequenting places of 

 like character at no great distance. Of the truth of the 

 statement I met with signal confirmation in the severe 

 winter of 1860-61. I then spent several days on the coast 

 of ^N'orfolk, for the purpose of watching the habits of Waders 

 and sea-fowl. Without indulging in the chase of wild 

 Geese, I heard and saw a great many flocks, of wliich some 

 were unmistakeably Brent Geese ; others, of a larger size 

 and a different colour, I was obliged to include under the 

 comprehensive name of Grey Geese. The Brents, I found, 

 regularly repaired to the salt marshes adjoining Thornham 

 Harbour, which, I was told, was their usual place of resort. 

 The others were known to alight only in the meadows 

 near Holkham. Having heard that several had been shot 

 at the latter place, I procured one, and on examination it 

 proved to be the present species, up to that time entirely 

 unknown to me. On consulting Yarrell, I found the 

 following jDassage : — " In January of the present year, 

 1841, I was favoured with a letter from the Hon. and 

 Eev. Thomas Keppel, of Warham Eectory, near Holkam, 

 informing me that a Pink-footed Goose had been killed by 

 his nephew, Lord Coke, at Holkam. This bird was shot 

 out of a flock of about twenty, but nothing particular was 

 observed in their flight or habits." The bird brought to 

 me had been shot, along with many others, out of similar 

 flocks, in exactly the same place, at an interval of twenty 

 years ; and I have no doubt that the many other specimens 

 which have been shot there between the above two dates, 

 belonged to the same species, the characters which dis- 

 tinguish it from the common Bean Goose being not suffi- 

 ciently striking to attract the notice of seaside gunners. 

 The habits of the species appear not to differ from those 

 of its congener : it arrives and departs about the same 

 time, and it breeds in the Outer Hebrides. 



