BEAN GOOSE. 157 



brown tinged with grey ; rump dark brown ; upper tail- 

 coverts white ; tail-feathers dark brown, broadly edged 

 with greyish white; neck in front, breast, and belly, 

 dirty white ; abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts, pure 

 white ; legs, toes, and membranes, orange ; the claws 

 black. 



The whole length of an adult male is thirty-four inches. 

 From the carpal joint to the end of the wing nearly nine- 

 teen inches ; the second quill-feather the longest in the 

 wing ; the wings when closed reaching considerably beyond 

 the end of the tail ; point of the wing with a prominent 

 callous knob hidden by the plumage. 



Young birds of the year are darker in the general colour 

 of their plumage, and the markings less distinct, but with 

 a tinge of orange colour about the neck. 



Two or three young ones were produced in St. James's 

 Park by the union of a Bean Goose with a Pink-footed 

 Goose, next to be described. 



Wild Geese, when on the wing together for any distance, 

 are frequently observed to assume some particular figure. 

 If there are only three or four birds, they mostly fly in a 

 straight line one after the other ; when more numerous, 

 they assume a wedge-shaped form like the letter <1 placed 

 horizontally, the angle in advance, the interval between 

 the side lines sometimes occupied. Practice seeems to have 

 taught them that angular forms diminish atmospheric re- 

 sistance. 



