139 



picked up on the shore, towards Cape Wijk by S. D. Brown, 

 member of the Oxford University Expedition. 



Of this bird, very rare in Spitsbergen, only a male was found 

 near Horn Sound on Oct. 8, 1899 [Bianchi (1902), cit. after le Roi 

 (1911)], while in October 1908 numerous specimens were observed 

 and caught in Bell Sound and Recherche Bay [Collett (1910)]. 



Anser brachyrhynchus Bâillon, the Pink-footed Goose. 



Anser brachyrhynchus Baill., Trevor Battye (1897), p. 580. 

 Anser brachyrhynchus Baill., Kolthoff (1903), p. 49. 

 Anser brachyrhynchus Baill., Schalow (1904), p. 176. 

 Melanonyx brachyrhynclius (Baill.), le Roi (1911), p. 208. 

 Anser brachyrhynchus Baill., Zedlitz (1911), p. 319. 



This goose, most closely related to Anser fabalis (cf. Kolthoff 

 (1903) p. 50), resembles our Grey Lag Goose by its pale-coloured 

 plumage, when on the wing. 



In June and July several small troops were feeding in Tundra 

 Boheman, but after the first half of July I did not see them any- 

 more here. Neither did I find any nests near Cape Boheman. 

 Formerly, however, a nest with 3 eggs was collected by Trevor 

 Battye (1897) on June 26, 1896 on an island near Cape Boheman. 

 Probably one of the Twins is meant, for here a precipitous coast 

 occurs, on which the Pink-footed Geese like to breed. In 1898 

 Kolthoff also found two nests near Cape Boheman. 



They lose all their primaries simultaneously about the middle of 

 July, like Brent Geese and Eiders; hence they are not capable 

 of flying and can escape by running or swim.ming only. Then many 

 of these birds, otherwise so difficult to obtain because of their 

 shyness, are shot. 



We saw moulting specimens in Mimer Valley on July 15. That 

 same day we found a nest with three dull-whitish eggs and a 

 newly-hatched young one near Bruce City on a stony foreland, the 

 parents running away, when we approached (O.E.). The large cup- 

 shaped hollow was lined with down. 



Most Pink-footed Geese like to breed high up in the mountains 

 or on the grassy ledges of steep cliffs. Dr. Wirén informed me that 

 he had found several nests of this species on top of Mt. Lundbohm 

 (Ekman Bay). Near Ekman Bay, where I saw large flocks of this 

 goose in the end of August, it also breeds on precipitous cliff's e. g. 



