— 70 — 



299. Red-breasted Goose. Branta ruficollis (Pallas). 

 Not mentioned by Shelley. 



On December 2, 1874, an example was obtained near 

 Alexandria, and is figured in Gould's " Birds of Great Britain." 

 This is the only record of this handsome goose from Egypt. 

 That it had previously occurred in the country, however, is 

 certain, for it is well represented in colours on the slab from 

 Maidum pyramid now in the Museum of Antiquities in Cairo. 



Length about 22 inches. The aduJt has a white patch 

 in front of the eye. Crown, throat, and hind neck, and lower 

 part of breast black, bordered by narrow lines of white. Ear 

 patches and breast rich chestnut ; upper parts almost black, 

 with greyish white edges to the wing coverts ; tail black ; bel]y 

 white barred with black on the flanks ; bill, legs, and feet very 

 dark brown (Howard Saunders). The young bird has little 

 or no red on the breast and is altogether greyer in the colora- 

 tion of the upper parts. 



300. Brent Goose. Branta bernicla (Linnaeus). 



Bernicla brenfa. Shelley, p. 281. 



Although it has been stated that small flocks of brent geese 

 visit Lower Egypt during the winter, the first positive record 

 I have of the occurrence of this species in Egypt was given to 

 me by Captain P. Bahr, R.A.M.C., who saw two near the Aswan 

 Dam on February 25, 1917. Finally, I saw a large flock on the 

 Nile near Sanabu, in Upper Eg}^t, in February 1918. 



Length about 22 inches. Head, throat, and neck black, 

 with a small white patch on each side of the neck ; back brownish 

 black, with pale edges to the feathers ; quills, rump, tail, and 

 upper breast black ; rest of under parts greyish white. The 

 female is usually rather smaller, and the young are duller in colour. 



301. Egyptian Goose. Chenalofex cegyptiacus (Linnaeus). 



Chenalopex cegyptiacus. Shelley, p. 279. 



There is little doubt that this goose is far less abundant 

 in Egypt now than it was fifty years ago, when Shelley described 

 it as ■" very evenly distributed throughout Egypt." It is rare 

 in Lower Egypt, but a good many breed in Upper Egypt. 



Length about 26 inches. Upper throat and cheeks white ; 

 sides of neck, forehead, and round eye ferruginous brown ; 

 back brown ; under parts brownish buff finely vermiculated 

 with black ; primaries and secondaries black, the latter glossed 



