GEESE. 407 



rally longer than the tail ; head dark brown ; colour 

 much as in the last, but generally a little browner; 

 length 3 ft. 2 in. ; weight 8 Ib. ; beak 2 in. long at 

 the root, 1 in. 3 1. high, 1 in. 1 1. broad ; tail 6 in., 

 eighteen feathers, all with white edges. 

 Breeds up in Lapland, not on the high fells, but in the 

 forest lakes, on which account it is called there the ' ' skogs 

 (or forest) gas ;" egg pure white, 3J in. long by 2-J in. 

 broad. 



252. A. ALBIFKONS, Bechst. Bias Gas. The White-fronted 



Goose. D. F. 



Beak pale flesh-coloured, with a large white nail at 

 the end j legs yellow ; neck and head brown ; a large 

 patch of white in the old birds, on the forehead and 

 root of the beak, which is wanting in the young ; the 

 outer and under wing feathers pure ash grey ; hinder 

 parts of the back and rump blackish grey, un- 

 spotted ; under tail coverts white. In the old bird the 

 breast is marked with deep, black, large transverse 

 spots ; in the young bird these are wanting, and the 

 breast is only blackish grey ; length 28 in. ; beak 1 in. 

 6 1. long, 1 in. high at root; tail about equal to the 

 closed wings, 5 in. ; beak short, and in form like that of 

 the common wild goose ; tarsus 2J in. The young bird 

 is generally 4 in. shorter than the old. 

 That this goose has for a long time been confounded with 

 the next is pretty certain. Nils son says this is the true fell 

 goose of Scandinavia. This is quite wrong. It is not known 

 to the Laps, nor do I believe, except accidentally, this 

 species is ever met with in Scandinavia. I do not think 

 they breed in this country. 



253. A. MINUTUS, Naum. Dverg Gas. Fjall Gas. D. F. 



The same description will pretty well suffice for both 

 these species, so much do they resemble each other, 

 but they are very different in size. The beak of A. 

 minutus is much smaller, and the upper lamilla?, which 



