BERNICLE GOOSE. 77 



gradually shades into it. Plumage above, dark grey- 

 ish brown, feathers tipped with pale wood-brown ; 

 on the wings the ground colour assumes a grey- 

 ish tinge, except on the quills, which are nearly 

 black ; upper tail-covers white, forming a crescent 

 of that colour at the base of the tail, as in the three 

 previously described species; tail tipped with white. 

 Beneath, the colour of the neck shades into pale 

 wood-brown on the breast and belly, gradually gain- 

 ing pure white on the vent and under tail- covers ; 

 but the lower parts of the breast, belly, and sides, 

 are irregularly marked or barred with black, in 

 greater or less proportion. Audubon considers this 

 as the mark of breeding plumage, and that it is 

 most diffused during the period of incubation, in 

 fact, that it forms a marking somewhat like that on 

 the plovers. All the specimens we have seen have 

 been killed in winter, and had these dark lines in 

 various proportions. Feathers covering the flanks 

 are dark, tipped with pale wood-brown, and the 

 thighs are yellowish-brown. The bill of this spe- 

 cies is pale, the nail is white. 



THE BERNICLE GOOSE, ANSER LEUCOPSIS, Bech- 

 stein. Oie lernacle, Temm. The Bernicle or Bar- 

 nicle Goose of British authors. This beautiful goose 

 is also a winter visitant along the shores of our 



o 



islands, in some parts appearing in large flocks, and 

 on the western coasts apparently taking the place 

 of the next, which is equally, or even more abun- 



