RED-BREASTED GOOSE. 1389 
They feed on green vegetables in preference to grain, but, 
on the principle of ‘Hobson’s choice,’ put up with the latter 
if no better be forthcoming. 
They utter their call-note to keep each other together, or 
if alarmed by a bird of prey: Meyer expresses it by the 
word ‘tsjackwoy.’ 
Male; weight, about three pounds; length, one foot eight, 
nine, or ten inches; bill, very short and nearly black, with 
a tinge of red; tooth, black. Ivis, hazel; between the eye 
and the base of the bill is a large whitish patch; the eye 
is encircled with a line of dark brownish black. Forehead, 
and head on the crown, dark brownish black; on the sides is 
a patch of chesnut, speckled with black, and surrounded wit 
a narrow line of white, which runs down the neck, bordering 
the black of the throat, and the back of the neck; neck on 
the back and nape, dark brownish black. The neck in front 
is rich orange chesnut red, bordered below with dashes of 
white. Chin and throat, dark brownish black; breast above, 
rich orange chesnut red, beneath which runs a narrow white 
band, and a narrow black one, in a festooned shape; on the 
middle and sides black, some of the feathers bordered with 
white; below white, with some waves of dusky brown; back, 
very dark blackish brown. 
The wings expand to the width of three feet ten inches. 
Greater wing coverts, dusky black, margined with white; 
lesser wing coverts, dusky black, edged with greyish white, 
forming two bars across the wing; primaries, black; secondaries, 
also black. Tail, black, tipped with white; upper tail coverts, 
white; under tail coverts, also white. Legs and toes, dark 
brownish black, with a tinge of red. Webs, dark brownish 
black. 
