DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS. 231 
The nest is made early in June, amongst the tall 
grass and sedge of an islet on one of the tundra 
lakes, or on rising ground on the bank, and is 
merely a hollow, into which is gathered a little dry 
grass and a quantity of down from the body of the 
parent. In this nest three or four creamy-white 
eggs are laid. As soon as the young are half- 
grown, the Bean Geese begin to collect into flocks 
again, and to complete their moult. Like other 
Geese, at this time they are very helpless, being 
incapable of flight, as the quills drop out suddenly, 
and nearly all together. 
Allusion must here be made to the Pink-footed 
Goose, the Auser brachyrhynchus of Baillon, long 
confounded with the Bean Goose, and perhaps only 
sub-specifically distinct from it. As pointed out by 
Mr. Cecil Smith, the characters mainly depended 
upon to distinguish this bird from the Bean Goose 
—pink legs and central portion of the bill—are not 
constant; but this may be due to accidental re- 
version. A more important difference, because 
apparently constant, is the bluish-gray colour of the 
upper wing coverts. These, however, are questions 
that do not come within the scope of the present 
volume, and must be left to the more advanced 
students of birds. The Pink-footed Goose is a 
tolerably common winter visitor to our islands, 
especially to the eastern districts. Its habits are 
not known to differ in any important respect. But ° 
little is known of its habits during the breeding 
