202 BULLETIN 130, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Along the west side of Prince Charles Foreland, where the mountains rise 

 steeply from the sea and are almost perpetually wrapped in drifting mists 

 and fogs, there are low grassy slopes and bluffs which lie at the foot of the 

 main range. Here many pink-footed geese breed in hollows on the green 

 ledges, sometimes two or three pairs nesting not far from one another, and 

 nesting hollows which have been used in previous years are quite plentiful ; 

 sometimes four or five being visible close together. Most of these nests can 

 be reached by a scrambling climb from below, but there may be a sheer drop 

 of 15 or 20 feet below the nest. In one case we saw four newly hatched 

 goslings in a nest, and the most enterprising of them scrambled over the side 

 of the nest for about a foot. The others, however, did not follow, and it was 

 only by repeated efforts that the youngster was able, after several attempts, 

 to regain its place in the nest. By next day every one of the young birds had 

 disappeared completely. On a subsequent occasion wb saw an old goose at 

 the foot of a cliff, attending closely to something on the ground below. Little 

 by little it descended the slope, guiding and helping with its bill something 

 which looked like a downy young bird. One of our party coming from another 

 direction shot the old goose, and going to the spot discovered the young which 

 was evidently being conducted to the shore. The empty nest was on the cliff 

 exactly above where we had first seen the bird, and I have no doubt that it 

 had fallen from the top without suffering any injury, for we took the bird 

 back with us to the ship and attempted to rear it. On another occasion we 

 put up two geese from a vast expanse of shingle at the mouth of one of 

 the valleys, and going to the spot found three addled eggs and a newly 

 hatched gosling. The little bird had already left the nest and made off for 

 us with wonderful speed over the shingle. It was not the least use replacing 

 it, for immediately it was released it set off again in pursuit of the nearest 

 of our party. On returning later with cameras, the young bird was not to be 



found. 



One nest was in a curious position, quite close to the sea, on some sloping 

 ground, sheltered by big bowlders which had fallen from the rocks above. 



By July 7 many of these geese had already shed their primaries and were 

 unable to fly in North Spitsbergen. Great numbers of their feathers lay 

 strewn along the shore, while the birds made off at top speed directly they 

 sighted us. 



^-^^^.—Witherby's Handbook (1920) describes the eo:gs of the 

 pink-footed goose as "dull whitish." The measurements of 292 

 ecrcrs average 78.2 by 52.3 millimeters; the eggs showing the four ex- 

 tremes measure 88 by 52.6, 82.6 by 56.7, 69 by 51, and 77 by 47.4 

 millimeters, according to the same authority. 



Food.— John CoTdesiUx (1898) says: 



Geese on reaching their feeding grounds, whirl in wide circles over the 

 selected spot and, when satisfied that all is, safe, sweep suddenly downwards 

 with considerable velocity, and commence feeding at once on alighting 



When, through the depth of snow on the high wolds, food is not to be got, 

 geese entirely change their habits, loafing about on the coast and sand banks 

 dur ng the day, and in the evening flying and dropping anywhere m the low 

 I'nry where they can get green food; the snow seldom lies long in coa^t 

 district, and there are always places which the winds have le t bare, and the 

 .round i; more or less uncovered. I have often seen their paddlings and diop- 

 ; ngs n pasture, corn, and turnip fields, near the coast. If the neighborhood 



