THE BEAN GOOSE 315 



in this country late in the autumn, remaining until 

 the spring, and is more especially frequent on the 

 Southern and South-western coasts, and on the 

 West coast of Ireland. It is more plentiful 

 during very severe winters. 



The bean goose approaches the gray-lag goose 

 very nearly in size, being but one inch shorter in 

 length, viz., thirty-four inches. It may be readily 

 distinguished from the gray-lag and white-fronted 

 varieties by the colour of its bill, which is orange- 

 coloured with a black nail. It is stated to have 

 derived its name from its habit of feeding inland 

 during the daytime, and from its partiality to all 

 kinds of grain crops, though I am inclined to sup- 

 pose that the appellation of bean goose must have 

 a different origin. In open weather these birds 

 seek their food inland, betaking themselves to 

 the coast should frost intervene, their move- 

 ments varying with the wind and weather. It is 

 common enough in Ireland, and frequent on our 

 East and extreme Southern coasts. It is, for 

 a goose, a by no means ungraceful bird. Its 

 plumage generally is darker than that of the 

 gray-lag or white-fronted goose. 



The pink-footed goose is chiefly to be found 

 on the East coast of England, and on both the 

 East and Western coasts of Scotland, but it does 

 not visit Ireland. This bird is that generally 

 known as the gray goose, the feathers of which 

 were in olden days in such request for the winging 

 of arrows. The colour of its plumage resembles 



