ANSER. 673 



Sub-Family ANSERINE. 

 Characters same as those of the Family. 



Gen, Anser. Briss. 



Bill high at the base, rather long ; lamina at edge wide and visible exter- 

 lally ; nostrils in the nude cere, longitudinal. 



1374. Anser Cinereus, Meyer, Naum. Vogt. t. 285 ; Gould, B. Eur. 

 >1- 347 ; Jerd., B, Ind. iii. p. 779; Sir. F. i. p. 258; iv. pp. 26, 197 ; vii. 

 494; viii. p. 421; Hume and Marsh. y Game Birds of Ind. iii. p. 55 ; 

 Murray, Hdbk., ZooL, $*c., Sind, p. 233 ; id., Vert. Zool., Sind, p. 283. 

 'Hans, Sind,) The GREY LAG GOOSE. 



Head, hind neck and nape greyish brown, the feathers of the latter slightly 

 larker and forming a conspicuous line on the neck behind, in some uniform 

 grey brown ; chin, throat and breast on the upper part pale greyish brown ; 

 the breast below whitish, and barred on the sides with greyish; back and 

 scapulars brown, the feathers margined at the tips with fulvous white, forming 

 regular bars ; greater wing coverts greyish brown, lesser slightly paler, both 

 bordered with whitish ; primaries white-shafted, the first three pale grey, the 

 rest nearly dark brown; tail greyish, tipped with white. The plumage of this 

 Goose is very variable. Of specimens I have, no two are alike. Mr. Hume 

 also notices this fact and says " In some the head and neck vary from pale 

 ashy or earthy brown to dark clove brown ; in most there is a mingled white 

 and orange patch on the forehead ; in some there is a similar spot at the base 

 of the upper mandible on each side, the feathers of the head and cheeks are 

 tinged wite orange or rusty, and in most there is a small spot of white on the 

 chin. In some specimens the breast and abdomen are closely blotched and 

 mottled with black or blackish brown and pale rusty buff ; in others the cap 

 and back of the upper neck are conspicuously darker, as in the specimen 

 before me, which has the entire breast a fulvous or soiled white, also the 

 middle of the belly, while the flanks are brown and barred with fulvous." 



Bill pinkish flesh colour, sometimes with an orange tinge ; nail greyish 

 white ; irides greyish brown ; legs livid fleshy. 



Length. 30 to 32 inches ; wing 17 to 18-5 ; tail 6 ; bill at front 2-4 to 2 -8 ; 

 tarsus 3 to 3*12. 



Hab. Sind, Afghanistan, Punjab, N.-W. Provinces, Oudh, Bengal, Raj- 

 putna, Kutch and Guzerat. Occurs throughout Europe. About the Munchur 

 Lake in Sind they are met with in large parties, also along the canals, and 

 especially the river. 



1375. Anser brachyrrhynchus (Baiilon), Jerd., B. Ind. iii. 



p 780; Hume and Marsh., Game Birds iii. p. 71. The PINK-FOOTED GOOSE. 

 VOL. II. 87 



