PINK-FOOTED GOOSE. 415 



It is scarcely within the province of this work to enter 

 into the controversy which has recently taken place in reference 

 to the different forms of Bean Goose differentiated by the 

 specific names of A. segetum and A. arvensis. Yorkshire 

 ornithologists are of opinion that the differences depend 

 greatly on age and sex.* I append measurements and weights 

 of three examples for purposes of comparison, and may 

 remark that Nos. 2 and 3 might be referable to Strickland's 

 A. paludosus, (?) arvensis (Brehm). 



Weight. Length of bill. Tarsus. Middle toe. 



No. i. ? Shot at Marske-by-the 



Sea, iyth November 1887 . . 6J ffis. 2f in. 3 in. 

 No. 2. </" Shot at East Cotting- 



with, January 1903 9 Ibs. 2| in. 4 in. 3^ in. 



No. 3. ? Shot at the same time 



and place as No. 2 8 Ibs. 2| in. 3 J in. 3jin. 



The only local name is Gabriel's Hounds (N. 6- Q. 1852, 



PP- 534> 596), which is of doubtful origin, and might be equally 



well applied to any other of the British common Wild Geese. 



See Grey Lag for folk-lore conected with Gabriel's Hounds. 



PINK-FOOTED GOOSE. 



Anser brachyrhynchus (Baillori). 



Winter visitant. The common Wild Goose of the county ; abundant 

 in east Yorkshire, where it annually makes its winter home, arriving 

 with great regularity in the last week of September and leaving again 

 about the end of April, the time of departure varying somewhat with 

 the seasons. 



The first mention of the Pink-footed Goose appears to 

 have been made by that celebrated naturalist John Ray, who, 

 in his ' Synopsis Methodica Avium,' published in 1713, alluded 



* Since this was written Mr. H. J. Pearson's work, " Three Summers 

 in Russian Lapland," has appeared, and his remarks on this subject 

 may be of interest as bearing out the above statement. See also Mr. 

 W. Eagle Clarke's note on Strickland's Report (p. 420.) 



