WATER FOWL OF INDIA AND ASIA. 2 
Ww 
The Bar-headed Goose. 
Anser indicus, BLANFORD, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,. 
VolZ IV, p.: 410: 
VERNACULAR NAMEsS.—Héns, Kareyt Hédns, Raj 
Hans, Birwa, H.; Pana, Nepal Terai; 
Nang-pa, Ladak; Nuir-bathu, Tam.; Badi- 
Héns, Chittagong ; Kéng-nat, Manipur. 
The Bar-headed Goose, the commonest of all our 
Geese, differs more from any of the rest than these do 
from each other; the bill has straighter edges and 
shows the teeth less, and has a smaller nail ; the general 
build is hghter and more slender, so that, although the 
measurements are mostly about the same as those of the 
Gray, the bird is less bulky ; and there is no pleating 
of the neck plumage, though this character may be 
absent in the Gray Goose. The colour of this species 
is equally characteristic, being a clear pale grey, passing 
into brown-grey on the neck and flanks; the head is 
white, with two black bars at the back, the first and 
longest reaching from eye to eye; anda white streak 
runs down each side of the neck. The bill is yellow 
or orange, with a black nail, and the legs are orange. 
Young birds have the crown dark brown, and no 
black bars on the head or white stripes on the neck. 
The length is about thirty inches ; the wing a foot 
and a half ; the shank three inches, and the bill about. 
two. 
The Bar-headed Goose breeds in Tibet and Central 
Asia, visiting India in winter far more numerously than 
any other Goose, and being common in the north and 
rare in the south. It occurs in Manipur, and is 
common on the Irrawaddy and elsewhere in Upper 
Burma. But it is rare in the Bombay Presidency, 
and unknown on the Malabar Coast. It is found in 
small or large flocks. It is afar more graceful bird, 
