GREY-LAG GOOSE. 501 



of the Obb ; but further east it is not fouud north of Lake Baikal and the 

 upper waters of the Amoor, though it breeds in Turkestan and Mongolia. 

 It has not been found in the Lower Amoor or in Japan_, but it winters in 

 China as far south as the Yan-tsze-kiang and in North-west India. 



Asiatic examples of this Goose are said to be somewhat larger than 

 European^ especially in the bill and feet, and to be more marked 

 with black on the underparts ; they have been distinguished as Anser 

 cinereus rubrirostris, but a larger series is required before a definite opinion 

 can be expressed. A male of the eastern form from Canton in my collec- 

 tion measures eighteen and a half inches in length of wing, the greatest 

 measurement of the bare part of the bill is 3'1 and the length of the middle 

 toe without the claw is 3'4 inch. 



The Grey-lag Goose is only a summer visitor to Germany, and forms a 

 remarkable exception to the rule which applies to most migratory birds, 

 that the earlier they arrive the later they depart. The Grey-lag appeared in 

 Anhalt in Naumann^s time late in February or early in March, often 

 before the ice and snow had all gone ; but in autumn many disappeared 

 before the end of July, and by the end of August only those were left 

 whose broods were exceptionally late. 



The food of the Grey-lag Goose being almost entirely vegetable, it 

 spends more of its time on land than on the water. Although it eats the 

 tender shoots of various water-plants, it appears to prefer those which grow 

 on the meadows. It eats grass, and is especially fond of grain of all kinds, 

 of which barley is its favourite, hence it is fond of frequenting the stubbles. 

 It is also fond of roots, and few vegetables grown in the kitchen-garden 

 are not appreciated by it. It spends nearly the whole day eating, coming 

 to its feeding-grounds before sunrise and remaining on them till evening. 

 It chooses the wildest bit of land it can find on which to roost — if possible, 

 where shrubs and reeds, long coarse grass, rushes, and other rank vegeta- 

 tion provide it with cover in which to hide itself. During the moulting- 

 season, especially near its close, when the bird has dropped its quills and 

 is unable to fly, it is still more careful to hide itself, remaining in cover all 

 day. If possible, it chooses for this critical period of its existence a loca- 

 lity where it can take to the water if pursued, and those Geese which breed 

 near the sea generally go out in a flock and remain on the ocean until 

 their moult is over, only coming to shore in very stormy weather or in 

 the dusk of the evening to feed. If pursued whilst in this comparatively 

 helpless state, they seek protection in the water, diving with great ease. 

 The Grey Goose is a very gregarious bird ; it is seldom found singly or in 

 isolated pairs, but it is at the same time very unsocial. It is very exclu- 

 sive in its selection of society, rarely or ever being seen in the company of 

 any other bird, not even mixing with other kinds of Geese ; but it recog- 

 nizes its specific identity with the Domestic Goose, and not uufrequently 



