GEESE. 135 



Single birds have been procured at Moreton in 

 1855; in .the Wareham meadow in 1857; and at 

 Kimmeridge in September 1858. Since that date 

 seven Dorsetshire specimens have passed through 

 the hands of Mr. Hart of Christchurch. These were 

 all obtained on the Wareham river and upper reaches 

 of Poole harbour during the last week of September 

 1859. One of these is in the possession of Mr. J. 

 Panton of Wareham, and another is in the collection 

 of Mr. T. M. Pike. The late Mr. C. O. Bartlett had 

 three in his collection, which had been shot in the 

 neighbourhood of Wareham, and two others are in 

 the possession of Mr. F. Squire of that town. 



ORDER ANSERES. 



Fam. Anatid^. 



GREY-LAG GOOSE. Auser cincreus, (Meyer). 



Yarrell, iv. p. 253; Dresser, vi. p. 355; Seehohm, iii. p. 500; 

 Ibis List, p. 115 ; Anser ferns, Harting, p. 59 ; Anas anser, 

 Pulteneijs List, p. 19. 



Generally regarded as the parent stock of our 

 domestic geese, the Grey-lag shows a resemblance 

 to the farmyard bird not only in plumage, but also 

 in the flesh-coloured beak with white nail, and pink 

 feet. Pulteney, referring to its former nesting in the 

 English fens, states that " it is common in the South 

 of England in severe seasons ; " but this is not the 

 case now, the Grey-lag in Dorsetshire being very rarely 



