The True Geese. 73 



paler. The remaining lower plumage 

 is dull white, the upper part of the 

 abdomen more or less distinctly barred 

 with grey. The under wing-coverts and 

 the axillaries are dark ashy. 



Younger birds do not appear to differ 

 in any important respect from the adult. 



The male is a little larger than the 

 female. The male measures : length 

 about 28 ; wing about 16 ; tail about 5^. 

 The bill measures closely on 17 from the 

 edge of the forehead straight to the tip 

 of the nail of the upper mandible. The 

 greatest depth of the visible portion of 

 the lower mandible when the bill is closed 

 is '2 only. The bill is black, with the 

 pale band between the nostrils and the 

 nail pink. This pink colour extends 

 back as far as the hinder corner of the 

 nostril, between the nostril and the 

 margin of the mandible, and sometimes 

 almost to the base of the upper mandible. 

 The irides are brown. The legs and 

 feet vary from flesh colour to pink and 

 purplish pink. Little use can be made 

 of the colour of the pale part of the bill 

 and legs for the identification of this 

 Goose, and the dimensions of the bill 

 and wing are safer guides. 



The other five Geese of the same type 



