19- 



THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



rfs^ 



'!:^i,N 



in Mr. Page's experience, he has t;illedinhis decoy-pond a Brent Goose — probably 

 a " pensioner," or wounded bird. 



Bean Goose : Anser segetum. Locally, "Grey Goose" (E.A.F.) 

 An uncommon winter visitor, most often seen during severe 

 weather. 



Around Sudbury, King 

 described it (20) as " not un- 

 common " in 1838, meaning, of 

 course, in winter. Around 

 Saffron Walden (24), it used oc- 

 casionally to be seen in hard 

 winters (Clarke). Dr. Layer 

 describes it as killed occasion- 

 ally on the coast in both the 

 Colchester and Paglesham dis- 

 tricts. Dr Bree records two 

 (one of which weighed 7lbs.) 

 shot on the coast in Dec, 1871 

 (29. Dec. 23). Mr. Hope ob- 

 serves that it passes over in the 

 autumn and spring, going S.W. 

 and N.E. 



PEA.N GOOSE, I 14 



Brent Goose : Beniicia brenta. Locally, " Black Goose." 

 The commonest and smallest species of Wild Goose frequenting 

 our coast, where it may be found, especially during hard weather, 



from autumn to spring. 

 Although essentially a 

 marine species, indi- 

 viduals are sometimes 

 met with inland. There 

 appear to be two forms 

 of this species — a dark- 

 breasted one, which is the 

 commoner, from the 

 N.E., and a much rarer 

 light - bellied form from 



BRENT GOOSE, l/l2. |-J^g JlJ "^y 



(After- Bezuick.) 



Dale, who calls it the 



" Rat " or " Road Goose," writing of Harwich in 1730, says (2. 403) : " These, no 



doubt, are in winter to be found here, having divers times seen them in Braintree 



Market, being caught on the Essex coast." Lindsey, writing from Harwich in 



1851, speaks of it (27. App. 59) as the "most numerous" of all the species of 



Geese visiting that place. He adds, " It is a regular visitor to our shore, and 



remains with us throughout the winter." It is still common there in hard winters. 



(Kerry). King says (20) it was in 1838 "not uncommon" round Sudbury — of 



