ANSERINE. 779 



make large nests of grass, &c., on tlie ground, in marshy places, 

 and lay several whitish eggs. During incubation, the males of 

 many live apart from the females, and assemble in flocks near 

 the sea-coast. The first down of the nestlings is mottled. Four or 

 five species visit India in the cold weather, and probably others 

 will be identified hereafter. 



Gen. Anser, Brisson. 

 Char. — Bill very high at the base, about the length of the 

 head ; the lamellae, tooth-like, very apparent externally ; nostrils a 

 little behind the middle ; toes moderately long, claws short and 

 curved ; neck moderately long. Of large size and grey plumage, 

 the bill pale, and legs usually reddish. 



945. A. cinereus, Meyek. 



Blyth, Cat. 1755 — Anas anser, Linn. — A. ferus, Gesner — A. 

 vulgaris, Pallas — Gould, Birds of Europe, pL 34,1-^Hans, H. 

 also HoJ — , Bannaia-hanSy — Kallaiik — Karhans at Bhaugulpore. 



The Grey Goose. 



Descr. — Head and neck clove-brown, tinged with grey ; the fore- 

 head whitish ; back, scapulars, greater and middle wing-coverts 

 clove-brown, the feathers broadly edged with greyish-white ; lower 

 back and upper tail-coverts bluish-ashy; lesser wing-coverts 

 and base of the primaries bluish-grey ; primaries black, shaded 

 with grey, with the shafts white ; secondaries black, edged with 

 white ; rump and sides of the upper tail-coverts white ; tail brown 

 edged with white, the outermost one almost wholly white ; breast 

 and upper belly greyish-white, undulated with bars of a deeper 

 tint ; lower abdomen and under tail-coverts white. 



Bill fleshy or dull orange-red, the tip whitish ; irides deep 

 brown ; legs livid fleshy or tile-red. Length 30 to 32 inches ; wing 

 18 ; tail 6 ; bill at front 2| ; tarsus 3 ; mid. toe and claw 3;^ ; 

 extent 4| feet ; weight 9 to 12 lbs. 



The common wild Goose, or grey lag Goose of England, is a 

 common winter visitant to the North of India, extending its 

 migrations to Central India, but rarely seen further South. It is 

 sometimes met with in small parties of from four to twenty ; occa- 

 sionally in vast flocks, which feed on young corn, grass, &c., and, 



