62 ANATID.E. 



shoots. I have never seen this Goose upon the coast in 

 winter; but, as before stated, it is reported to breed in great 

 numbers on the Norwegian coast. 



Professor Nilsson says the Bean Goose is the most com- 

 mon species in Sweden, and is also spread over Finland, 

 breeding upon the islands, and committing great ravage upon 

 the green corn. Mr. Hewitson, says the Bean Goose was 

 rather numerous upon one of the large islands on the west 

 coast of Norway, near the Arctic circle, where it had been 

 breeding during the previous month. This species is said to 

 visit the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland. It breeds 

 also in great numbers at Nova Zembla. 



M. Temminck says the Bean Goose is abundant in Hol- 

 land, Germany, and France, but is more rare in the central 

 portions of Europe. It is found also in Spain, Provence, 

 and Italy. M. Vieillot mentions that one of the names of 

 this bird in France is, Harvest Goose, Oie des moissons, from 

 its frequenting corn-fields, and the destructive effects of large 

 flocks when feeding upon green corn. Our name of Bean 

 Goose is said to have reference to the dark nail on the beak, 

 which in appearance is considered to resemble a horse-bean ; 

 Mr. Selby thinks the name has been suggested by the de- 

 cided partiality of the bird to pulse and grain. 



The bill is two inches and one quarter in length, nearly as 

 long as the head ; rather slender towards the end and point- 

 ed ; the nail, edges, and base, black, the middle portion 

 orange ; irides dark brown ; the head and neck brown, tinged 

 Avith grey ; back and scapulars darker brown, slightly tinged 

 with grey, each feather margined with greyish white ; wing- 

 coverts, secondaries, and tertials, greyish-brown, edged and 

 tipped with white ; primaries dark brown tinged with grey ; 

 rump dark brown ; upper tail- coverts white ; tail-feathers 

 dark brown, broadly edged with greyish white ; neck in front, 

 breast, and belly, dirty white ; abdomen, vent, and under 



