39^ BERNACLE GOOSE. 



ham did not find it in Novaya Zemlya; and although Baron 

 Nordenskiold alludes to its (supposed) occurrence on that island, it 

 is a significant fact that no specimens were brought thence by the 

 ' Vega ' expedition, nor indeed from any part of Arctic Siberia ; where, 

 moreover, it has not been observed by any other travellers. The real 

 breeding-haunts of the Bernacle Goose may be surmised, indeed, but 

 are as yet unknown, for the nesting by a pair for several successive 

 years on Borgevcer, one of the Lofoten Islands, off the coast of Norway 

 — as recorded by Prof Collett — -must be looked upon as exceptional. 

 On migration this species visits Russia, Scandinavia, Denmark, and 

 the northern coasts of Europe ; while accidental visitors have been 

 obtained as far south as the mouth of the Guadalquivir in Spain, 

 and near Foggia in Italy. Except as a very rare wanderer to the 

 south end of Hudson Bay, it is absolutely unknown in any part of 

 Arctic America. 



Eggs laid in confinement are white, and measure 2*7 5 by i'9 in. 

 Many instances of the breeding of this bird in captivity are on 

 record, and Mr. R. Lloyd Patterson states that several broods 

 produced near Belfast did not desert the place, although not 

 pinioned. As already stated, the Bernacle has bred with the White- 

 fronted Goose. It feeds on the grass found in marshes near the 

 sea-shore, and to some extent upon animal food obtained in the 

 mud-flats ; always at night, except when very much harassed by 

 gunners during moonlight. While feeding, the flocks are very 

 noisy, keeping up a constant cackling, and sentinels are regularly 

 posted to give the alarm. Some interesting details respecting this 

 species are to be found in ' The Birds of Cumberland,' by Messrs. 

 Macpherson and Duckworth. Its name is attributable to the vulgar 

 belief that this species and the Brent were hatched from bernacles 

 {LepadidcT) attached to logs of wood floating in the sea, as described 

 in Gerard's ' Herbal ' (1597), as well as in a paper published by the 

 Royal Society in 1678. 



The adult has a black stripe between the eye and the bill, while 

 the head, neck and throat are also black ; forehead, cheeks and 

 chin white ; mantle lavender-grey, barred with bluish-black and 

 white ; quills and tail-feathers almost black ; breast and belly 

 greyish ; vent and tail-coverts pure white ; flanks barred with grey ; 

 bill, legs and feet black. Length about 25 in. ; wing 16 in. The 

 female is slightly smaller than the male. The young bird has the 

 white of the cheeks varied with black, rufous edges to the feathers 

 of the mantle, darker bars on the flanks, and paler legs. 



