THE BRENT GEESE. 24 1 



of the white-breasted form from Novaya Zemlya is in the 

 Museum, while Mr. Trevor-Battye found both hght and dark- 

 breasted individuals on Kolguev. 



Range in Great Britain. — The commonest of all the Geese 

 which visit our shores in the winter, and occurring in great 

 numbers in certain parts, particularly on the east coasts of 

 England and Scotland, as well as in Ireland. On the western 

 coasts it is not so common as on those of the east and south. 



Range outside the British Islands. — How far north the Brent 

 Goose goes during the breeding-season is not yet discovered, 

 but its range probably extends as far as land is known. From 

 the Taimyr Peninsula it ranges westward throughout the 

 Arctic Regions in summer, the dark-bellied form being the 

 principal inhabitant of Novaya Zemlya, Spitsbergen, Kolguev, 

 &c., though not exclusively, as has already been pointed out, 

 and the light-breasted form taking its place from Greenland to 

 the ParrJ^ Islands. In winter it migrates south, and occurs 

 along the coasts of Northern and Western Europe, even occa- 

 sionally visiting the Mediterranean countries. 



Habits. — This Goose is entirely a maritime species, and 

 mostly feeds during the day-time. Mr. Howard Saunders 

 says that it does not dive, but searches on the ooze, or with 

 head and neck extended below the surface of the water in 

 shallow places, for aquatic plants, "especially grass-wrack 

 {Zostera inari?ia) and laver {Ulva latissima) : whence the local 

 names 'Ware-Goose' and 'Rood-Goose,' z.e., 'Root-Goose'; 

 small crustaceans and marine insects are also eaten. The call- 

 note is a loud cro/ik or /wfi/c, audible at a considerable distance." 



The Brent Goose breeds in Kolguev Island, according to 

 the admission of the Samoyeds, but Mr. Trevor-Battye never 

 saw the nest or the egg. Vast numbers of old and young 

 birds appear off the sand-banks in July, and he describes 

 in a graphic manner in his work, " Ice-bound on Kolguev," 

 the way in which the Geese are trapped on that island by the 

 Samoyeds — by placing a large net supported on poles, and 

 sending men out in boats to drive the Geese inland. At this 

 time of year the Brent Geese are moulting and cannot fly, and 

 are gradually driven into the trap by the natives, and all 

 slaughtered. On the occasion when Mr. Trevor-Battye wit- 



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