262 BULLETIN 130, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



coasts of Scotland, at low water also resorting to saltings, fitties, mud flats, 

 and foreshores, left uncovered by the sea, and is as much a land feeder as its 

 congener, the brent, is a sea goose. Mr. C. M. Adamson, of North Jesmond, had 

 some tame barnacles which in the spring would eat worms, as exceptional diet. 



The stomachs and crops of birds taken in Greenland by Mr. Man- 

 niche (1910) were "filled with twigs, leaves, and catkins of alpine 

 willow, with seeds of different plants and also grasses." 



Behavior. — Mr. Cordeaux (1898) quotes Macpherson and Duck- 

 worth, as follows : 



It is interesting to wait upon the point of Burgh marsh, before daybreak, 

 and listen to the cries of the barnacles, feeding upon the point of RockclifEe 

 marsh, just opposite. About an hour after daybreak they rise en masse from 

 their feeding ground, and after wheeling up and down the Solway for a few 

 moments, displaying their pretty barred gray, black, and white plumage against 

 the mud flats, they fly seawards to the estuary of the Wampool, or, circling 

 round, pitch in a long line upon the exposed mud half a mile to windward. 

 Barnacle geese are constantly vociferous, especially when feeding, and Mr. A. 

 Smith compares the volume of sound produced by a flock of several hundred 

 feeding at night together, as heard at a distance, to a pack of harriers in 

 full cry. 



Witherby's Handbook (1921) sa^^s: 



Favorite feeding localities are wide stretches of " machar " land of firm 

 springy turf inside sandhills. A common trait in all geese, but more noticeably 

 so in this species, is a continual series of friendly quarrels amongst a feeding 

 flock. Less inclined to associate with other geese than any other species, and 

 never nearly so unapproachable, it is the " fool " amongst geese, and only one 

 which on occasion will fail to take alarm after having seen and distrusted a 

 moving object within 100 yards. Occasionally goes to sea to rest on very calm 

 days, but as a rule as much land loving as any " gray " goose. Note a series of 

 rapidly repeated short barks — some higher than others. Combined chorus pro- 

 duced by big flock of any geese has been likened to " music " of pack of hounds 

 running. Taking that comparison, barnacle's cry is represented by one end of 

 scale, gray lag's by other ; gray lag's is full-mouthed music of pack of fox- 

 hounds, barnacle's that of host of small terriers. Almost if not quite insensi- 

 tive to scent of man, and rarely if ever takes alarm from it. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Breeding range. — Known to breed only in northeastern Greenland 

 (Scoresby Land, Trekones) and on Spitsbergen. Said to breed also 

 on Nova Zembla, the Lofoten Islands, and in northwestern Siberia. 



Winter range. — Northwestern Europe. South regularly to the 

 Baltic and North Seas and the British Isles, occasionally inland to 

 Switzerland and Austria and exceptionally south to the Azores, 

 Spain, Morocco, and Italy. Occurs on migrations in western Green- 

 land and Iceland. 



Casual records. — There are about 9 North American records: La- 

 brador (Okak), James Bay (Rupert House). Massachusetts (Chat- 



