THE TRUE GEESE. 2^1 



Adult Female. Similar to the male, but a little smaller. Total 

 length, 26 'o inches ; wing, 15. 



Young Birds. Darker and more uniform in colour than the 

 adults, and the nail at the end of the bill is brown ; the under 

 surface is more uniform, without any black patches or bars. 



Characters. The White-fronted Goose is a smaller bird than 

 the Grey Lag-Goose, and has an orange-coloured bill with a 

 white nail at the tip. The white forehead also easily dis- 

 tinguishes it, when adult, though it should be noted that, in our 

 figure, the white is rather more extended than it should be. 



Range in Great Britain. This Goose does not breed within our 

 limits, and is only a winter visitant, with a somewhat curious 

 distribution, as is detailed by Mr. Howard Saunders and Mr. 

 Seebohm. It occurs somewhat sporadically, and is rare on 

 the east coasts of both England and Scotland, is commoner in 

 Ireland. On the west coast of Scotland it is a rare visitor, as 

 a rule, and on the Outer Hebrides is only an occasional visitor, 

 but on Islay is said to be the most common of all the Grey 

 Geese. 



Kange outside the British Islands. The European form of the 

 White-fronted Goose breeds in the high north, from Green- 

 land and Iceland to Central Siberia, as Mr. Seebohm found 

 it on the Yenesei, and he states that it passes farther to 

 the north to breed than either the Bean-Goose or the Grey 

 Lag-Goose. In America a large form, A. gambeli, is found, 

 which can only be considered a slightly larger race of our A. 

 albifrons, and this race breeds in Arctic America and goes 

 south in winter, as does the true A. albifrons, which in the 

 cold season occurs throughout Europe, and even winters in 

 North-western India and China. 



Habits. The same as those of the Grey Lag-Goose. Mr. 

 Seebohm says that the notes are somewhat similar to those of 

 the last-mentioned species, but are more trumpet-like in tone, 

 and more rapidly repeated, so that it has sometimes been 

 called the Laughing Goose. He remarks further : " In other 

 respects the habits of the White-fronted, Bean, and Grey Geese 

 are so similar that the description of one might almost pass for 

 that of the others." 



