530 Count T. Salvadori on Alpheraky's 



rhynchus Buturlin, Psov. i Ruzh. Okh. 1901 (Dikie Gusi Ros. 

 i., Febr.-Apr.); id. sep. impr. p. 19; id. Sin tabl. Okhotn. 

 Pt. lloss. i. 1901, p. 46 j id. Psov. i Ruzh. Okh. 1902, June, 

 p. 1.20. 



In the genus or subgenus Melanonyx the following species 

 are included : — M. tieglectus, M. brachyrhynchus, M. arvensis, 

 M. arvensis sibiricus, M. segetum, M. carneirostris, M. segetum 

 serrirostris, and M. mentalis. 



For convenience' sake I must begin my remarks with the 

 Bean-Goose, which in the ' Catalogue of Birds ' stands as 

 A user fabalis (Lath.), but which Mr. Alpheraky prefers to 

 call A. segetum (Gm.). The author splits this species into 

 two — namely, A. arvensis Brehm and A. segetum ; the first 

 being distinguished by a larger yellow bill, while the latter 

 has a shorter black bill with a yellow band round it, between 

 the black nail and the nostrils. These differences were 

 clearly pointed out long ago by Naumann (Vog. Deutschl. 

 xi. pp. 277, 300, tt. 286, 287 ; Naumannia, 1853, pp. 5-8, 

 Taf. i. ff. A, B, C, D, E, F), and it may be that they have 

 not been duly appreciated. Apparently Mr. Alpheraky has 

 noticed another very important character in the bill, which " if 

 looked at from above shows the apparent length of the nail 

 in adult birds of M. segetum contained in the total culmen- 

 length not more than3i times, Avhilein M. arvensis the same 

 nail is contained in the culmen in adults up to -H times." This 

 character really appears to me of great importance, although 

 unfortunately I have not been able to test it, as all the 

 Bean- Geese from Italy in our collection belong to the 

 true A. scgeium, and none to A. arvensis. The question of 

 the distinction of the two birds must be carefully investi- 

 gated, as there are a few points not quite clear, especially as 

 regards geographical distribution. It appears that the 

 breeding-area of A. arvensis is more extended both westwards 

 and eastwards than that of A. segetum, and in two localities 

 (Kolguev Island and Novaya Zemlia) both these species 

 have been found breeding. From Mr. Alpheraky's remarks 

 it appears that " in Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, 

 Austria, Hungary, Turkey, and Greece M. segetum is 



