234 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



goslings. As neither young nor old birds are able to fly, these 

 flocks proceed at a walking pace, and at these times numbers 

 fall victims to the Samoyeds, who depend largely on their store 

 of these birds for their winter food. Mr. Seebohm met with 

 one of these flocks on the Petchora. " At least a hundred old 

 geese, and quite as many young, perhaps twice or thrice that 

 number, were marching like a regiment of soldiers. The van- 

 guard, consisting of old birds, was half-way across the stream, 

 whilst the goslings brought up the rear, and were running down 

 the steep bank to the water's edge as fast as their legs could 

 carry them. The green grassy banks of the river, where the 

 Geese had evidently been feeding, were strewn with feathers, 

 and in five minutes I picked up a large handful of quills. They 

 were evidently migrating to the interior of the tundra, moulting 

 as they went along. On the following day, our stock of pro- 

 visions being entirely exhausted, we sent a foraging party after 

 this flock of Geese, who met with them a few versts higher up 

 the river, and secured eleven old birds and five goslings. Most 

 of the Geese were in full moult and unable to fly, and both old 

 and young made for the water, attempting to conceal them- 

 selves by diving." 



Nest. A slight hollow scraped in the soil and lined with 

 dead grass, moss, sometimes a few feathers, and always plenty 

 of the light grey down of the bird itself (Seebohm). 



Eggs. Three, sometimes four in number ; creamy-white, or 

 yellowish-buff when stained, and with scarcely any gloss. Axis, 

 2 '95~3'4 inches; diam., 2'i$. 



IV. THE PINK-FOOTED GOOSE. ANSER BRACHYRHYNCHUS. 



Anser brachyrhynchus, Baillon, Mem. de la Soc. Roy. d'Em. 

 d'Abbev. 1833, P- 74 \ Macg. Br. B. iv. p. 602 (1852): 

 Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 369, pi. 413 (1878); B. O. U. List 

 Br. B. p. 116; Saunders, ed. Yarr. iv. p. 270 (1885): 

 Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p. 498 (1885) ; Saunders, Man. p. 391 

 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxv. (1893) ; Salvad. 

 Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 103 (1895). 



Anser segetum brachyrhynchus, Seebohm, Brit. B. iii. p. 498 

 (1885). 



Adult Male. Similar to A. fabalis, and, like that species, 



