Letters, Extractf;, Notices, h;c. 485 



According to Professor Newton {op. cit. p. 2, footnote), 

 '' a facsimile of the picture is, or was, a few years ago, 

 exhibited at the Museum of Science and Art in London, and 

 the portion containing the figures of the Geese has been 

 figured by Mr. Loftie {' Ride in Egypt,' p. 209)," to whom 

 Professor Newton was indebted for the opportunity of ex- 

 amining a copy made on the spot by an accomplished artist. 



There are six Geese in the picture, and, as Professor 

 Newton states, " Four of these figures can be unhesitatingly 

 referred to two species {Anser erythropiis and A. ruficolUs) 

 well known at the present day ; and if the two remaining 

 figures, belonging to a third and larger species, were re- 

 examined by an expert, they M'ould very possibly be capable 

 of determination with no less certainty." 



These two larger Geese are placed one at each end of the 

 series in the picture, and I made a careful examination of 

 them during a recent visit to the Ghizeh Museum, especially 

 as Professor Newton had been good enough to write and 

 remind me about them, stating that he thought that the 

 specific points had been neglected by the copyist who made 

 the facsimile which he saw in London some years ago. 



These two Geese have their bills yellow, tipped and shaded 

 with a darker colour. That on the left of the picture has 

 the lower mandible heavily tipped with black, while that on 

 the right has no such dark tip, but has the upper mandible 

 slightly tipped with brown, as are also the bills of the two 

 specimens of A. erythropus. All the four Grey Geese have 

 the bills and legs of the same colour — yellow — and the claws 

 black. 



The shoulders of the two larger Geese are of the same 

 hroivn colour as the rest of their bodies, and are similar to 

 those of the two A. erijthropus. The only parts of the 

 plumage which are coloured darker than the rest are the 

 primaries. 



The artist evidently recognized clearly the presence of the 

 dark bars on the underside of A. erythropus, and also the 

 white forehead, and has brought out these characteristics 

 well in the painting, as he has also in the case of the clearly- 



