THE "GREY" GEESE 165 



tens of thousands ; but having once risen, the hosts immediately 

 broke up into comparatively small flocks, and flew off, one after 

 another, either to another part of the steppe or to water, uttering all 

 the time their loud, laughing cackle. 



Of the bean-goose it may be remarked that until recently but 

 one species was recognised ; but Alpheraky and other Continental 

 ornithologists now hold that the term "bean-goose" has been in- 

 advertently applied to some seven or eight forms of this bird 

 entitled at least to subspecific rank ; wherein, therefore, this bird 

 resembles the whitefronted species in being in a state of unstable 

 equilibrium. But be this as it may and we doubt the validity of 

 at least some of these subspecies but one, the typical bean-goose, 

 Anserfabalis, is recognised as entitled to a place on the British list. 

 Alpheraky, however, dissents from this, and contends that the great 

 majority of the geese known as bean-geese wintering in Great Britain 

 are yellow-billed bean-geese, Anser (Melanonyx) arvensis. As, how- 

 ever, the distinguishing marks between the two so-called species are 

 furnished only by slight differences in the shape and coloration of 

 the beak, and still more subtle differences in plumage, we prefer to 

 regard them as differences due to individual variation, and perhaps 

 to age only. 



In its habits and general appearance the bean so closely re- 

 sembles the pinkfooted-goose, that the two species cannot well be 

 considered apart in these pages. Indeed, in the matter of plumage 

 they are so alike that Seebohm contended that the pinkfooted-goose 

 is no more than a subspecific form of the bean-goose ; with which, 

 however, later ornithologists do not agree. 



With us the bean-goose and its congener the pinkfooted-goose 

 display the same habits, passing the night on the dry sand-flats, and 

 proceeding at dawn to feed on the stubbles, or failing these to wher- 

 ever an abundance of grass is to be had. And to these observations 

 on this aspect of their life we may add those of Alpheraky, 1 who 



1 Geese of Europe and Asia, p. 75. 



