BEAN GOOSE. 61 



feet in height, that covers the islands. The eggs ■were all 

 hatched, and most of the young had betaken themselves to 

 the neighbouring moors, where they continue till able to fly, 

 secreting themselves when disturbed, in the highest heather. 

 At Tongue we saw some goslings about a month old (follow- 

 ing a hen), which had been hatched from eggs taken at Loch 

 Laighal. We were told they became nearly as tame as com- 

 mon geese, but refuse to intermix or breed with them. The 

 eggs, from five to seven in number, are smaller than those of 

 the common goose, but of a similar shape and colour."" 



A few pairs it is said, breed annually in Sunbiggin Tarn, 

 near Orton, in Westmoreland, and the islands of Lewis and 

 Harris, among the Hebrides, are also named as places regular- 

 ly visited by Bean Geese in summer, where, according to 

 Pennant, they feed on green corn to an injurious extent. 

 A pair of Bean Geese belonging to the Ornithological Society 

 of London, have this season produced a brood of five, in St. 

 James"'s Park : the young were observed to grow very rapidly. 

 The egg of a Bean Goose, brought from Norway, and given 

 me by Mr. Hewitson, is of a dull white ; three inches five 

 lines long, by two inches five lines in breadth. The eggs 

 produced by the Bean Goose in the park were a little smaller. 

 The Bean Goose is common during winter in Ireland, and in 

 North Wales, but is more rare in the southern counties of 

 England, increasing in frequency on going northward. Mr. 

 Dann's note on this species is as follows : — " This Goose is 

 said to be very numerous on the north-west coast of Norway. 

 I have seen it in vast numbers on the Tornea river in Sep- 

 tember ; and the young ones are often caught on the islands 

 at the head of the Bothnian Gulph, and tamed. They arrive 

 in the south of Sweden the latter end of March or the be- 

 ginning of April, and remain about a month previous to their 

 departure north. During their stay they keep amongst the 

 dead reeds and rushes, feeding upon the roots and young 



