ANSERINE 71 



Subfamily AXSEEIN.E. 



This subfamily contains, according to Salvador!, six genera, but 

 other sj-stematists have further considerably divided these again. 



Thus the Bar-Headed Goose has been placed in a genus, Eulaheia 

 (Reichenbach), by itself, and the Bean-Geese have been separated 

 from other geese and called generically Mclanonijj: (Buturlin). The 

 only other genus which interests Indian sportsmen and ornithologists 

 is Branta, of which one species, ruficolUs, undoubtedly visits our 

 limits. 



The only genera we need recognize for the purpose of this work 

 are Anscr and Branta. and I propose to deal with Alpheraky's Anser, 

 Mclanouij.v, and Eulabeia, all under the former title. The generic 

 differences, if they do amount to such, are very slight, and there 

 appears to be no need to confuse readers more than can be helped. 



The distinctive features of the subfamily are : the hind-toe is not 

 lobed, and moderate in length, as is the neck, the feet are palmated, 

 and there is no cere. 



As regards India the following key to the genera will suffice : — 



Neck and breast with no bright rufous colouration . Anser. 



Neck and breast extensively coloured with bright 



rufous Branta. 



Since the article dealing with the true geese appeared in the 

 Bombay N. H. S. Journal, certain specimens of geese have been 

 obtained, of which two species, Anser hrachijrhynchus and Anser 

 arvensis sibiricus, have been satisfactorily identified, and others of 

 which the identity has not been absolutely made out, but which I 

 have dealt with under the headings to which I believe they belong : 

 also Branta ruficolUs, although not actually obtained, has been 

 sufficiently well identified to allow us to include it in the Indian 

 avifauna. 



The Bean-Geese have been dealt with at great length by 

 Alpheraky in his magnificent monograph of ' The Geese of Eussia 

 and Asia,' and, because of the mass of material he has had at his 



