WILD-GEESE. 73 



of a livid tint, the nails pale at the base with dark 

 tips. 



These descriptions contain nearly all that is 

 known of the British wild-geese, which, from their 

 close alliance, have been confounded together ; but 

 notwithstanding the authorities we have given, we 

 are not sure that their distribution or frequency can 

 be deduced from them without fear of contradiction. 

 We feel also almost inclined to think that a fourth 

 species may even yet be involved among them in 

 the large-billed bird of our wood-cut, p. 66. We 

 find that this, from the different size and form of 

 the bill, has been by several authors considered as 

 the true wild-goose or Grey-lag, while the later 

 writers do not seem to have observed this bird 

 among their researches, and we have to regret that 

 we have been unable now to procure a recent speci- 

 men of that described as having flesh-coloured feet 

 and the white nail. To bring them at once before 

 the observer, the following summary may be of use : 



J . Wild or Grey Lag-goose. Bill long, pale flesh- 

 colour, nail white ; feet and legs dull flesh - 

 colour ; tail consisting of feathers. 



2. Pink-footed Goose. Bill short, deep pink co- 

 lour, nail black, nostrils oblong ; feet and legs 

 livid pink; tail consisting of 14 feathers. 



3. Bean Goose. Bill short, orange-yellow, nail 

 black, nostrils round ; feet and legs orange- yel- 

 low; tail consisting of feathers. 



