38S white-frontp:d goose. 



It is also found inland, and from its breeding-places in Arctic 

 Russia it migrates down the Volga and other great river-valleys to 

 Syria, Egypt and Nubia. This species is supposed to have had a 

 share in the origin of our tame stock, for it was domesticated by the 

 ancient Egyptians, as shown by its admirable portraiture in paintings 

 on a slab from Meydoun, and on others in the temple of x-lmada 

 in Nubia, as well as in the British Museum. Its chief nesting- 

 grounds are in Siberia, where Dr. von Middendorff found it to be 

 the commonest species of Goose in the Taimyr district, while in 

 the cold season it migrates as far as Shanghai and Northern India. 



The bird which breeds in the northern districts of Scandinavia 

 and on its fells, is characterized by smaller size, somewhat darker 

 plumage, and short bill, straight-ridged from the tip to the forehead, 

 on which the white extends beyond the line of the eye. By those 

 who admit its claim to specific rank this is known as the Lesser 

 White-fronted Goose, Anser erythtopus of Linnaeus ; a young 

 male was shot by Mr. A. C. Chapman at Holy Island in Northum- 

 berland, on Sept. 1 6th 1886. Mr. Seebohm obtained this form 

 — as I consider it — on the Yenesei, and the area which it visits on 

 migration appears to be nearly identical with the range of the larger 

 and more numerous bird. The White-fronted Goose found in Green- 

 land, and in America up to 72° N. lat., has been distinguished by the 

 name of A. gambcU ; it is a vtry large bird, with a great deal more 

 black on the breast, abdomen, and flanks, and much darker under 

 wing-coverts ; it occurs as far west as Alaska, but is not known to 

 visit the Aleutian Islands or the Asiatic coast. 



The nidification of the White-fronted Goose is like that of its 

 congeners ; the eggs, 5-7 in number, and creamy-white in colour, 

 average in measurement 3 in. by 2 in. For its feeding-grounds 

 this species appears to prefer fields of grass and clover to stubbles. 

 It breeds in captivity, and has been known to produce a brood by 

 union with a Bernacle Goose. 



The adult male has a large amount of white on the forehead and 

 at the base of the upper mandible ; upper plumage brownish-ash ; 

 breast and belly brownish-white, broadly barred with black ; bill 

 orange-yellow, with a i(.<hite nail at the tip ; legs, toes and webs 

 orange. Length 27 in. ; wing 16 in. The female is rather smaller 

 and has less black on the breast. The young are darker and more 

 uniform in colour; the feathers at the base of the upper mandible 

 are not white, but dark brown ; there are no black markings on 

 the breast in females ; and the nail is light brown. 



