ANSERINE. 781 



feathers ; upper tail-coverts dark ashy, the longest white ; lesser 

 wing-coverts dull brown, slightly edged rufous ; middle coverts 

 ashy-bluish, tipped white ; primaries ashy-grey, black at the tip ; 

 secondaries black ; tail ashy, the feathers edged and broadly tipped 

 with white ; plumage beneath brownish on the breast and flanks, 

 passing into whitish grey with spots and wide cross bands of black 

 on the lower part of the breast, the upper abdomen and flanks ; 

 lower abdomen and under tail-coverts pure white. 



Bill purplish-red, orange-yellow round the nostrils, on the middle 

 of the upper mandible and the edges of the lower mandible ; tip 

 whitish ; irides deep brown ; legs orange, the nails white. Length 

 27 inches ; wing 17 ; bill at front 1| ; tarsus 3 ; mid-toe 2|. 



The white-fronted Goose has, within our territories, only been 

 observed hitherto in the Punjab, Adams stating that it is a winter 

 visitant to the lakes and rivers of that province. It is found 

 throughout Europe, Northern Asia, and North America. It is 

 stated to frequent marshes and rarely to visit corn-fields. 



948. Anser erythropus, Linn. 



Newton, Ibis, 2, p. 406— A. minutus, Naumann — A. medius, 

 Temminck — Bree, Birds of Europe, pi. 



The Dwarf Goose. 



Descr. — Top of head, forehead, throat, front of cheeks, and 

 the under and upper tail-coverts pure white ; thejest of the head, 

 neck, and crop, grey, with those parts nearest the white front of 

 the head, darker ; scapulars and back, dark brown grey, with trans- 

 verse lighter bands ; upper wing-coverts blue-grey; lower, the same 

 colour as the back, edged with white ; primaries, of the same blue- 

 grey as the upper coverts ; secondaries black ; tail grey, margined 

 with white at the tip, and white at the base ; abdomen black, bordered 

 with white, and the flanks the same dark grey-brown as the back, 

 each feather edged with lighter and separated from the edge of 

 the wing, when folded, by a white streak. 



Bill orange* ; feet and legs red. Length 22 inches; wing 15 ; 

 tail 4^ ; weight 4 lbs. 



* Mr. Bree, whose description of this Goose I have copied, in his specific 

 character gives the beak blacii, but iu the description orange. Probably the nail 

 only is black. 



