NATATORES. 219 



seldom alights in corn-fields, its favourite resorts 

 being fens, marshes, and rivers near the sea- coast, 

 where, from its being a regular winter visitant to 

 this country, it is often shot by puntmen. 



Meyer, in his finely-coloured work,* mentions a 

 Whitefronted Goose which he shot on the Thames, 

 near London, in February, 1847. 



This species is not uncommon on the poulterers' 

 stalls in London, from November till March, and 

 fetches a good price for the table. Looking at some 

 Whitefronted and Pinkfooted Geese in March, 1865, 

 as they hung in a poulterer's stall, there appeared a 

 noticeable difference in the wings, the Whitefronted 

 having dark gre}^, and the Pinkfooted light grey 

 shoulders. 



Brent Goose, Anser brenta. This is the smallest 

 and most abundant of our British Geese, but, from 

 being exclusively marine in its habits, never feeding 

 on fresh-water herbage, nor resorting to the fields 

 and marshes, like the Grey Geese, its appearance so 

 far inland must be considered as purelj'' accidental, 

 and probably to be attributed to unusuallj'' severe 

 weather on the east coast. Mr. Bond has recorded 

 the occurrence of this species at Kingsbur}^ Reser- 

 voir, in ' The Zoologist' for 1843. 



Bedbreasted Goose, Anser ruficolUs. A very 

 rare visitant to this country, being a native of 



* ' Illustrations of British Birds. ' 



u 2 



