THE BRENT GEESE. 



239 



extended sand-bank becomes dry. Other variations occur in 

 their daily routine, such as alighting in the shallows of the 

 estuary, and marching in a line to the brow of the marsh oppo- 

 site, which gained, they range themselves along the edge of 

 the loose turfs of the saltings ; or, again, they alight in the 

 water, and swim a short distance. They are never long silent, 

 neither do they associate with other fowl. They generally 

 leave the Solway in March and April, but sometimes a few 

 linger into May. At that season, pinioned Bernacles exhibit 

 much restlessness, and display symptoms of the migratory im- 

 pulse by loud calls. Those shot in open weather are con- 

 sidered good eating." 



Nest. Unknown, in a wild state. 



Eggs. Those laid in confinement are white. Axis, 2-75- 

 2 '9 inches; diam., i '85-2*0. 



II. THE BRENT GOOSE. BRANTA BERNICLA. 



Anser brenta, Pall. Zoogr. Rosso-As. ii. p. 229 (1811); See- 



bohm, Br. B. iii. p. 508 (1885). 

 Bernicla brenta, Macg. Br, B. iv. p. 629 (1852); Dresser, B. 



Eur. vi. p. 389, pi. 415, fig. 2 (1877); B. O. U. List Br. 



B. p. 117 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 290 



(1885) ; id. Man. Br. B. p. 399 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. 



Brit. B. part xxiv. (1893). 

 Anser brenta glaucogaster (Brehm.) ; Seeb. Brit. B. iii. p. 508 



(1885). 

 Branta bernicla^ Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 119 



(1895). 



Adult Male. General colour above greyish-brown, decidedly 

 slaty ; the lower back and rump, as well as the central upper 

 tail-coverts, darker, the latter inclining to blackish ; wing- 

 coverts like the back; bastard- wing, primary-coverts, and quills 

 black, the innermost secondaries like the back ; the sides of 

 the lower rump and the upper tail-coverts white, and hiding 

 I the tail-feathers, which are black ; head, neck, and upper 

 mantle, as well as the throat and fore-neck, sooty-black, with a 

 patch of white-tipped feathers on each side of the neck ; breast 

 and abdomen brownish-grey, sharply defined against the black 



