LEHERS 



THE GEESE AND THE WIGEON OF ICELAND. 

 To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, — I have read with much interest the Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain's 

 article entitled " Notes on the Bird-Life of South-west Iceland " 

 {supra, pp. 234-45). Mr. Jourdain again raises the much vexed 

 question as to what species of Grey Goose breeds in Iceland, and I 

 see he and his companions came to the conclusion that all the Grey 

 Geese they saw were Anser anser. The matter has puzzled me for 

 some time, and last year, when in communication with Mr. G. B. 

 Dinesen the collector, of Husavik, North Iceland, I asked him what 

 species of Grey Goose he found breeding in Iceland. I quote his 

 reply: "In regard to Grey Geese, I will name Anser segetum and 

 Anser albifrons," and I have heard from him recently that he has 

 two skins of Anser albifrons for me to see (one a small one), and which 

 I expect to receive shortly ; I shall then be in a position to report 

 definitely. The fact that Mr. Dinesen only names Anser segetum 

 {= A. f. fahalis) and Anser albifrons does not make Mr. Joiu-dain's 

 record any less likely to be correct ; indeed, I think that it is generally 

 accepted that Anser anser does breed in Iceland. Moreover, I have 

 in my own collection, a clutch of five eggs with down of Anser anser, 

 and also a clutch of five with down of Anser brachyrhynchus, both 

 taken in North Iceland ; but while I am quite satisfied as to the 

 identity of the Anser anser eggs, I do not at present know of any 

 differentiating character by which the eggs of Anser brachyrhynchus 

 can be distinguished from those of Anser /. fabalis, although I am 

 inclined to think that the down of Anser brachyrhynchus is darker 

 than that of Anser /. fabalis, which is light, like that of Anser anser. 

 Personally, I see no valid reason why all four species of Grey Geese 

 {A. anser, A. brachyrhynchus, A. f. fabalis, and A. albifrons) should 

 not breed in Iceland, although I belie^•e I am right in saying that 

 A. f. fabalis is unrecorded as an Icelandic bird. 



On another occasion I asked Mr. Dinesen (in view of the reported 

 breeding of the American Wigeon {Anas americana) in Iceland by 

 Mr. Cobum {Bull. B.O.C., XIL, p. 14) what species of Wigeon he 

 came across, and I quote his reply : "Of the Wigeon breeding there 

 I only find Anas penelope." That Mr. Dinesen must have a very 

 extensive and accurate knowledge of Icelandic birds goes without 

 saying, I think. F. W. Smalley. 



