ANSEK BKACHYHHVNCHUS 9^^ 



(15) ANSER BRACHYRHYNCHUS. 

 THE PINK-FOOTED GOOSE. 



Anser brachyrhynchus, Badlon, 2Icm. Soc. Alb. p. 74 (1833) (Abbevillel ; 



[Lime, S. I', viii, p. 114; Hionc, Cat. No. 9-46; Hume tf Marsh. 



Gaine-B. iii, p. 71 ; McLeod, S. F. x, p. 168: Sa/radori. Cut. B. ^f. 



xxvii, p. 103; Blan/ord, Avifauna B. I. iv, p. 418; Oates. Gaine-B. ii, 



p. 65: Stuart Baker. J. B. N. H. S- xi, p. 399: id. iljid, Indian 



Ducks, p. 76 (1908). 

 Melanonyx brachyrhynchus, Alpherakij, Geese, p. 87. 



Adult Male. — " Whole head aud neck brown with chocolate or coffee 

 tinge, and often with a small number of white plumules at the base of 

 the bill. Upper part of the back, between scapuhe, brown with rufous 

 tinge. Lower part of back and scapulars light-brown, the feathers lie- 

 coming rufous towards tips and edged with light-rufous or light-grey. 

 Rump slate-brown ; upper and lower tail-coverts pure white. Tail 

 blackish-brown, with white edgings and tips to the feathers. Upper wing- 

 coverts slaty ashen-grey, and edged (more or less widely) with light 

 rufous. Tips of median and greater wing-coverts very i^ale grey-rufous. 

 Outer primaries grey, with black tips ; inner primaries and secondaries 

 uniformly brown-black, latter with narrow whitish margins ; tertiaries 

 dark-brown with wider whitish edgings. Whole breast rufous-brown, 

 with pale edgings to feathers, producing a barred wavy effect. Flanks 

 rufous-browD, each feather at tip passing gradually into rufous and 

 fringed with lighter, sometimes greyish margins. 



" Eemaining part of under surface of body dingy-white, upper part 

 of belly with darker grey transverse striping." (Alphcraky.) 



Colours of soft parts. — Legs and feet deep rosy-red, claws black, 

 irides brown. Bill a beautiful carmine-pink, nail black, the base of the 

 bill is also black to a greater or less extent ; in young birds the pink 

 exists only as a narrow band behind the nail, in old birds it extends 

 back to the nostrils, along the culmen only as far as the upper edge of 

 the nares, and on the lower edge, sometimes, as far back as the extreme 

 base of the bill. 



Measurements. — The measurements of a very line male in my posses- 

 sion were : length 27 inches, wing 16'8, tarsus 2'44, tail 4'8, bill at front 

 1'6, and from gape 1'66. Wing 15'7 inches, culmen 1'73 to 1'88, depth 

 of bill at base 22, tarsus 2'20, weight 63 to 7* lbs." {Alpherakij.) 



