414 THE GREY-LAG GOOSE. 



If the inference to be drawn from this is, that the grey- 

 lag goose breeds there, Yarrell is altogether at variance with 

 Nilsson, who distinctly tells us that, as far as Scandinavia is 

 concerned, it only nests, and that sparingly, in the more 

 eastern parts of Sweden from the northern portion of the 

 province of Scania to about the 61 N. latitude and never 

 on the western coast of Sweden or Norway, or the interior 

 of the latter country. 



This bird (whose proper home Nilsson imagines as 

 is probably the fact to be Russia and Siberia), Kjaer- 

 bolling informs us, breeds sparingly in Denmark, where, 

 however, it would seem in former times to have been much 

 more abundant. 



According to the naturalists quoted in the last paragraph, 

 this species is the parent stock of the domestic goose. 

 Jenyns, I notice, considers this to be highly improbable, for 

 the reason that the common gander, after attaining to a 

 certain age, is invariably white ; but though the bean or 

 other goose may be the progenitor of many of the tame 

 geese, there can be little doubt that some of the latter, at 

 least, owe their origin to the grey-lag goose. 



The eggs of this bird are described to be from five to 

 eight in number, and of a dirty-white colour, inclining to 

 yellow ; they are three inches three lines in length, by two 

 inches two lines in thickness. 



The Bean Goose (Sad-Gas, or Grain-Goose, Sw. ; A. 

 Segetum, Steph.) was very abundant in my vicinity during 

 migration, and remained, more especially in the autumn, for 

 a considerable time ; but I never heard of its breeding with 

 us. According to Swedish naturalists, it nests in the more 

 northern portion of Scandinavia, particularly amongst the 



