84 INDIAN DUOKS 



(13) ANSER ALBIFRONS ALBIFRONS. 

 THE WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. 



Branta albifrons, Scop. Ann. I. His. Nat. p. 69 (1769) (North Italy). 



Anser albifrons, Jcrdon, B. of I. iii, p. 780; Hume, S. F. viii, p. Ill ; 

 Huiiie, Cat. No. 947; Hiivie d- Marsli. Game-B. iii, p. 73, pi. 10; 

 Salvadori, Cat. B. M. xxvii, p. 92 ; Blanfonl, Avifauna B. I. iv, 

 p. 417 ; Gates, Game-B. ii, p. 91 ; Alpttcrakij, Geese, p. 42 ; Stitait 

 Baker, J. B. N. H. S. x, p. 355 ; id. Indian Dueks, p. 70 (1908) ; 

 Forbes, J. B. N. H. S. xviii, p. 683 (1908). 



Anser erythropus, Hume, S. F. i, p. 259. 



Description. Adult Male. — " Forehead and feathers at the Ijase of the 

 upper mandible white ; head, neck, back, rump, and wings brownish ash- 

 colour ; upper tail-coverts white; breast and belly pale brownish- white, with 

 patches and broad bars of black ; sides and flanks ash-brown, with paler 

 edgings, and with a white band on tlie upper margin ; vent and under tail- 

 coverts white ; upper wing-coverts greyish-brown with paler edgings, the 

 greater ones edged with white, forming a conspicuous band ; wing-primaries 

 liluish-black ; secondaries black ; tail-feathers dark-grey, tipped with white ; 

 bill orange-yellow, the nail white ; irides dark-brown ; legs, toes, and mem- 

 branes orange ; claws whitish horn-colour. Total length 27 inches, wing KJ, 

 tail n, culmen r9, tarsus 2'5." {Salvadori.) 



Measurements. — Jerdon gives the wing as 17 inches; on the other hand, 

 Hume gives it as 15 to 1575. 



" Wing 14'75 to 17 inches, culmen 1*57 to 2'20, tarsus 2'25 to 2'30." 

 {Alpherakij.) 



Colours of the soft parts. — Hume gives these as follows : Legs and feet 

 bright orange ; nails pinky or greyish-white ; bill pale livid fleshy ; nail 

 Avhitish or pale yellowish-white : irides pale-brown. 



" Bill dull flesh-colour, to a more or less rosy-red. often a very beautiful 

 rosy tint ; after death it rapidly turns into orange." {Xaumann.) 



" Weight: maximum 6 lbs., minimuir. 4 lbs., average 5'1 lbs." (Popliam.) 



Female only differs from the male in being rather smaller ; I can find no 

 measurements of this goose sexed as females, but Alpheraky remarks ; — 



" I therefore quote the dimensions of the White-fronted Goose without 

 stating the sex, this being the less to be regretted, seeing that it did not seem 

 possible to give the limits for the maximum measurements of the female, on 

 account of the inadequate material." 



Young. — " Bird of the \o;u- is more unifcim in colour and ratlier darker; 



