BEAN-GOOSE 65 



It is possible, however, that, as Mr. Baker says, this species 

 may have been mixed up with Sushkin's goose, Anser neglectus, 

 a little-known species recently described, ranging as near as 

 Persia, and believed to have been obtained in India. 



This also has pink feet and the centre of the bill pink, but it 

 resembles the bean-goose m plumage, having no slate-colour on 

 the wing, and its bill is about two and a half inches long, though 

 not so well developed as in the bean-goose. I must say I am 

 very suspicious of all these supposed new species of geese, and I 

 am inclined to suspect that as the pink-footed goose may have 

 orange where it ought to be pink, the bean-goose may return the 

 compliment. Also, what is there to prevent these nearly allied 

 geese from hybridizing, which geese do most readily in captivity? 

 Anyone, therefore, shooting a pink-footed goose of any sort 

 should be careful particularly to record the colour of wing and 

 size of bill, these being the great points in these half-black- 

 beaked species of geese. 



The true pink-footed goose is a western bird, its breeding- 

 places being in arctic Europe ; it is the commonest of the 

 " grey " inland-feeding geese known at home — in fact the most 

 numerous of all our wild geese, except the " black " brent of 

 the sea coasts. 



Bean-goose. 



Anser fabalis.* 



The beau-goose, like the grey-lag, is a big bird with a large 

 strong bill, indeed bulged and coarse in some specimens ; by the 

 colour of this, which is black at the tip and for a varying amount 

 of the base, the remaining portion being orange, it can be dis- 

 tinguished from any large-billed goose found with us. The 

 legs are also orange, and the general colour of the plumage 

 dark greyish-brown rather than grey. 



Although there are several reports of its occurring in India, 

 there seems to be no actual Indian-killed specimen on record ; 

 yet Blyth, who was perhaps the best naturalist that ever lived, 



* segetum on plate. 



