ANSER ANSER 77 



Tt is found throughout Northern Indica, but it is far more 

 numerous to the west than to the east, and it extends right away 

 throughout China. It occurs in some numbers throughout Assam, 

 but certainly is not a very common bird anywhere in that province, 

 as far as I can ascertain, except on the Brahmapootra, when 

 migrating north or south. Mr. Eden, however, says that it occurs 

 in great numbers in Sylhet, in a favourable year. Probably it is 

 in great numbers only when compared to the few found of other 

 species. 



]\Ir. Damant reports it to be common in ^Nlanipur, next door to 

 Burma ; and as regards Burma itself, Gates writes : — 



It occurs on tlie Chindwin and IrrawadJy rivers, and in the latter 

 river it is abundant down to Myingyan, at least." 



A friend, in epistolu, writing from Burma, remarks: — 



" I cannot think how it is that the Grey Lag has not yet been 

 recorded from Burmah. I found it in thousands on the Irrawaddy, 

 and also on some large bheels, a considerable distance from the 

 banks of the river." 



Harington and Bell also record the shooting of large numbers 

 at Toungyi, etc. I have shot one or two pairs in the Sunderbands, 

 but have seen very few birds indeed in that part of the country, and, 

 I think, east of Calcutta it is decidedly rare ; indeed it is not 

 common even in the Calcutta markets, which are a veritable bird- 

 mine for the ornithologist in the right season, when the rarer edible 

 birds sometimes put in an appearance. 



Nidification. — The Grey Lag has never yet been actually found 

 breeding within Indian limits, although its breeding-haunts are in 

 part not very far distant. It breeds from Iceland in the west, 

 Scotland in the more northern counties, Norway, Sweden and a 

 great part of Eussia, Spain and the northern countries of the 

 Mediterranean, through Trans-Caucasia into Persia and Turkestan. 

 It is a numerous breeder in Trans-Caspia through to Lake Baikal 

 and the Amur. It breeds in Seistan and quite possibly in parts of 

 the Himalayas and in Northern Afghanistan. It has not yet been 

 proved to breed either in Asia Mmor or in the Chinese mountains, 

 but almost certainly does so. 



