132 A HAND-LIST OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



winters in great numbers on Caspian Sea, in steppes of Transcaspia 

 a.nd parts of Persia, passing thi*ough south Russia, the Khirgiz 

 steppes, and parts of Turkestan, casually in France, Italy, Holland, 

 Oermany, Galicia, Hungary, and even — at least in ancient times — 

 in Egypt. 



BRANTA LEUCOPSIS 



282. Branta leucopsis (Bechst.)— THE BARNACLE-GOOSE. 



Anas leucopsis Bechstein, Om. Taschenb., it, p. 424 (1803 — Germany). 

 Bernida leucopsis (Bechstein), Yarrell, iv, p. 28G ; Saunders, p. 409. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Winter-visitor. Most numerous 

 O. and some I. Hebrides, and Sohvay, where, however, becoming 

 scarcer. Formerly common, now rare, parts of Wales and Cheshire, 

 but more numerous generally on west side Great Britain than east, 

 where very rare, as on south coast and inland. In northern Scotland 

 rare, but fairly regular visitor Orkneys and well-kno^^Ti passage- 

 migrant (not wintering) Shetlands. In Ireland regular winter- 

 visitor to coasts and islands Connaught and co. Donegal, and 

 in small numbers to Dundalk Bav (Louth), ver^^ rare southern 

 half. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds Spitsbergen and north-east 

 Greenland, possibly also Kolguev(?), Novaj^a Zemlia, and north- 

 west Siberia. On migration and in winter from Iceland to 

 shores of Baltic and Xorth Sea, occasionally inland, excejDtionally 

 south to Itah', Spain, Marocco, Azores, casually in North 

 America. 



BRANTA BERNICLA 



283. Branta bernicla bernicla (L.)— THE BRENT GOOSE. 



Anas Bernicla Linnaeus, Syst. Xat., ed. x, i, p 124 (1758 — "Habitat 



in Europa boreali : migrat supra Sueciam "). 



Bernida hrenta (Pallas), Yarrell, iv, p. 290; Saimders, p. 411. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Winter-visitor. Most numerous and 

 regular east coast Scotland, east and south coast England, and all 

 coasts Ireland, where, however, scarcer on south coast. On west 

 coasts Great Britain generally scarce and somewhat irregular, as 

 in western isles Scotland, but common parts of Orkneys, and in 

 Shetlands chiefly known as passage-migrant. Very rare inland. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds on Franz -Josef Land, Spitsbergen, 

 Kolguev, and Novaya Zemlia (not on mainland of European Russia), 

 on Yenisei, and even further east ; replaced by allied races in east 

 and west North America. In winter in vast numbers on shores 

 of Baltic and especially North Sea. Casually inland, sometimes 

 south to Mediterranean and even north Africa. 



