■^^914^] THAYER AND BANGS — BIRDS 29 



Anser albifrons albifrons (Scopoli). 



One adult breeding male was taken at Kolyma River, June 26, 

 1912. 



The white-fronted goose bred in considerable numbers on low 

 islands in the Delta of the Kolyma; as these islands often are 

 flooded in spring, it always chooses high spots for its nest, sometimes 

 placing it on the up-turned roots of a drift-tree, sometimes on a 

 pile of driftwood or rubbish. In this way it protects itself also from 

 foxes, but not from the glaucous gull, which Mr. Koren declares 

 to be the " worst egg-robber of the animal kingdom." Apparently 

 it takes the constant vigilance of both goose and gander, to 

 protect the nest from the gulls, and even at that they gener- 

 ally lose their first two or three eggs. After incubation begins, 

 they usually manage to keep off the gulls, by never leaving the 

 eggs uncovered. 



On June 26 Mr. Koren shot a gander that had a nest with three 

 eggs. He wanted to get the goose also, but could not get a shot 

 at her that evening, so he left the nest undisturbed. But on his 

 arrival next morning he found that the eggs had been taken by 

 gulls, 



Anser erythropus Linn. 



One example of the lesser white-fronted goose, that had been 

 killed the season before, was examined in the market at Pontelij 

 on March 26, 1912. At Nijni Kolymsk, June 1, 1912, another 

 individual that had been killed by a native was seen, but the species 

 was not observed alive by Mr. Koren. 



Melanonyx segetum serrirostris Swinhoe. 



An adult male and two downy young were made into skins. 

 The species was common from Kolyma to Chaun Bay, and occurred 



