The True Geese. 57 



abdomen and the under tail-coverts are 

 pure white. 



Young birds have no white whatever 

 on the face, and the lower plumage is 

 pale smoky brown, the feathers margined 

 with dull fulvous, but the lower part of 

 the abdomen and the under tail-coverts 

 are pure white. 



Birds acquiring the adult plumage 

 have the forehead and sides of the base 

 of the upper mandible white, streaked 

 with black, and surrounded by a black 

 band. It would appear that the black 

 band recedes as the amount of white on 

 the face increases. The black band is 

 apparently always of the same width and 

 always in immediate contact with the 

 white, no matter what the extent of the 

 latter may be. 



Length about 22; wing about 145 ; 

 tail about 4. According to Mr. Dresser 

 the bill is dull white, with a fleshy tinge ; 

 nail pale horn-colour ; iris brown ; legs 

 and edge of eyelids orange-yellow. A 

 young bird shot by Dr. Finsch in Western 

 Siberia, and now in the British Museum, 

 has the bill deep red. The colours of 

 this specimen, however, when first killed, 

 are recorded on the label in German, 

 and may be translated thus : Bill dirty 



