ANATID.«. 



40; 



THE RED-BREASTED GOOSE. 

 Berni'cla rufic6llis (Pallas). 



This small and richly-coloured Goose is a very rare wanderer as 

 far west as Great Britain, and almost all our authenticated specimens 

 in existence have been obtained on the east side of the island. 

 The first recorded occurrence is that of a bird shot near London 

 early in 1776 during a severe frost, and now in the Museum of 

 Newcastle-on-Tyne ; while another, taken alive near Wycliffe in 

 Yorkshire about the same time, lived until 1785. One, killed near 

 Berwick-on-Tweed in 18 18, is in the British Museum (Natural 

 History) ; and a fine example sent from Maldon in Essex, on 

 January 6th 187 1, is in the possession of Mr. Wilfrid Marshall of 

 Norton Manor, Taunton. Two are said to have been obtained in 

 South Devon and one in Norfolk. There are other records, but 

 unsubstantiated. 



During the summer the Red-breasted Goose inhabits those dis- 

 tricts of Siberia which lie to the north of the limit of forest-growth 

 in the valleys of the Ob and the Yenesei, and eastward to about 

 long. 105°. In the former Dr. Finsch found it not uncommon ; in 

 1877 the late Mr. Seebohm secured a bird which had been shot from 



