WHITE-FIIONTED GOOSE. 263 



refuse vegetables in the main street of Tullamore, King's 

 County. 



The White-fronted Goose has been observed in the Faeroes, 

 and in the southern part of Iceland ; and it occurs on the 

 coast of Norway in winter. According to Prof. Malmgren, it 

 visits the central and southern districts of Sweden on migra- 

 tion ; but the bird which breeds on the fells of Lapland, 

 and which is known as the 'Mountain Goose,' appears to 

 be the species described by Linnaeus under the name of 

 A. erythropus, characterized by its smaller size ; short, 

 straight-ridged bill forming a line with the forehead, on 

 which the white extends beyond the line of the eye ; and 

 somewhat darker plumage. No British-killed example of 

 the latter is known to be in existence, but Mr. Cordeaux 

 informs the Editor that, about ten years since, he saw 

 hanging on a stall in Grimsby market in which only 

 local birds are exposed, an undoubted example of this little 

 Goose, which was unfortunately sold and lost sight of before 

 he could secure it. It is naturally somewhat difficult to 

 trace the respective ranges of such close allies, but, accord- 

 ing to Henke, the large White-fronted Goose passes through 

 Archangel on migration, breeding on the Kanin penin- 

 sula ; and it is common in the Ural. On the Yenesei Mr. 

 Seebohm only obtained the Lesser White-fronted species ; 

 but our bird is stated by Von Middendorff to be the com- 

 monest species found breeding in the Taimyr district ; and it 

 appears to be not unfrequent at Irkutsk. In autumn and 

 winter this Goose visits Northern India, China as far south 

 as Shanghai, and Japan. On migration and in winter it 

 has occurred throughout Europe down to the African side 

 of the Mediterranean basin, vast flocks resorting to the 

 Nile valley ; and Dr. Leith Adams states that the White- 

 fronted and also, seemingly, the Grey Lag Geese, were 

 domesticated by the old Egyptians, characteristic delinea- 

 tions in the British Museum, and in the little temple of 

 Amada, in Nubia, showing the steward counting the Geese 

 and Ducks in presence of the owner, to whom their feeders 

 are making obeisance. 



