128 A HAND-LIST OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



ANSER ANSER 



274. Anser anser (L.)— THE GREY LAG-GOOSE. 



Anas Anser Linnaeus, Syst. Xat., ed. x, i, p. 123 (1758 — Europe. Re- 

 stricted typical locality : Sweden). 

 Anser cinereus Meyer, Yarrell, iv, p. 253 ; Saunders, p. 397. 



Distribution. — England, Wales, and Ireland. — Winter- visitor. Rare 

 along east coast England, and very irregular in south and west. 

 Used to breed (Cambridge up to 1773, Lines, to early 1800). In 

 Ireland rare in most counties, but visits parts of Wexford, Wick- 

 low, Meath, Louth, Mayo, and lower Shannon. Probably formerly 

 bred Bog of Allen and co. Down. Scotland. — Resident. Breeds 

 Ross, Sutherland, Caithness, some I. Hebrides, and more plenti- 

 fully 0. Hebrides. On mainland does not breed south of Loch 

 Maree in truly wild state. In winter more general, but apparently 

 only occasional on east side. Has increased of recent years in 

 Solway. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds in Iceland, Europe, north-east 

 of a line drawn from Friesland to the Lower Danube, and in Asia 

 as far east as east Siberia and Kamtschatka, migrating south in 

 winter as far as Mediterranean and north Africa, China and India. 



[XoTE. — A specimen of Anser ruhrirostris Swinhoe is said to have been 

 obtained in co. Limerick, Xov. 23, 1901 (F. Cobum, Bull. B.O.C., xii, p. 80), 

 but according to Alpheraky (see The Geese of Europe and Asia, pp. 24-41) and 

 others, this supposed eastern race cannot be distinguished !] 



ANSER ALBIFRONS 



275. Anser albifrons (Scop.)— THE WHITE-FRONTED 



GOOSE. 



Bkanta albifrons Scopoli, Annus i, Historico-Natur., p. 69 (1769 — 



Camiola). 



Anser albifrons (Scopoli), Yarrell, iv, p. 261 ; Saimders, p. 399. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Winter-visitor. Scarce east coast 

 Great Britain, sometimes plentiful south and most regular west, 

 where, however, its distribution is irregular. In Ireland regular and 

 often abundant on great bogs in all provinces. 

 Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds from Lapland (Gobel) and Novaya 

 Zemlia, Kolguev, Kanin, and eastwards along arctic Siberia. Also 

 breeds in Iceland, Greenland, and arctic North America, but Ameri- 

 can authors distinguish their form under the name of A. albifrons 

 gambeli, a distinction which requires confirmation.* On migration 

 all over Europe to Mediterranean and Egypt, north India, Corea, 

 Japan, and China, while the American form wanders as far as 

 Mexico and Cuba. 



* Some specimens of White-fronted Geese from Ireland have been assigned 

 by Mr. F. Cobum to the doubtful Anser gambeli, but the validity of this sup- 

 posed race cannot be decided without further study (c/. Brit. B., 11, p. 25). 



