ia A Lin a a ACRE ea. Sa ee ee 
340 
It will, perhaps, be convenient to examine first on what founda- 
tion ** Anus erythropus’’ was established. 
In the 12th edition of the ‘Systema Naturz ’ (Holmiz, 1766) we 
find (vol. i. pars 1. pp. 197-8) the species as the eleventh in order 
of the genus Anas, and the account given is :— 
‘*A. cinerea, fronte alba. Faun. Svec. 116.” [I omit all the syn- 
onyms borrowed from other authors.| ‘Rostrum rudrum. Pedes 
rubri.” 
Now these latter characters clearly can have no reference to the 
Bernicle Goose, even if that species were not elsewhere included as 
Anas bernicla, var. [3. 
Turning then to the edition of the ‘ Fauna Suecica’ cited (Stock- 
holmie, 1761), we have (p. 41) as follows :— 
116. Anas erythropus cinerea ; fronte alba. Fn. 92....... 
Anser cinereus ferus, torque inter oculos et rostrum albo, erythropus. 
W. Botniensibus Fjell-gas. Habitat in Helsingia, Lapponiz alpi- 
bus.” 
To this succeeds a description of the male, which I admit is open 
to objection ; but the matter, in my opinion, is rendered conclusive 
by the description of the female, which, in the edition of the ‘ Fauna 
Suecica’ here referred to, and published fifteen years previously 
(Lugd. Bat. 1746), is alone given. It is this :— 
«Rostrum sordide carneum, frons alba. Caput, collum, dorsum, 
cauda cinerea; pectus et abdomen candida: macule in sterno ni- 
grescentes: Pedes sanguinei.” 
It is, therefore, plain, that by Anas erythropus Linneus did not 
intend to designate the Bernicle Goose, but a bird known in his 
time to the Swedes of Westro-Bothnia by the name of Fjzll-gas— 
i.e. “Fell” or ‘ Mountain Goose.” It accordingly remains to be 
seen what that species is. 
It appears by the note-books of the late Mr. John Wolley, which 
are now in my possession, that in all his researches he was able to find 
only two species of Wild Goose inhabiting the extensive district in 
Lapland which he so carefully explored, and of which part was com- 
prehended in the ancient province of Westro-Bothnia. These species 
are known to the Finns, who form the great bulk of the population, 
respectively as the “ Iso-hanhi” and “ Killio-hanhi,” the former 
signifying “ Great Goose,” the latter “‘ Mountain Goose.” The Iso- 
hanhi he had several opportunities of identifying as the well-known 
Bean Goose (Anser segetum) ; the other he found, somewhat to his 
surprise, to be, not, as he had been told by Swedish ornithologists, 
the Bernicle Goose, but a bird of about that size, and at the same 
time closely resembling, in plumage and other physical characters, the 
White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons). Not to extend the present 
remarks, I may state briefly that he was not able to discover that 
the Bernicle Goose was known to any of the inhabitants of the 
interior of the country: a statement which is singularly corroborated 
by Mr. Dann’s note communicated to Mr. Yarrell (B. B. iii. p. 73) 
in reference to the last-named species :—‘‘A skin of this Goose was 
shown me by some Laps near Gillivara, who were ignorant of the 
