WILD-FOWL: GEESE 199 



in. from point of bill to end of tail, and well-fed adult 

 specimens are found to weigh up to 10 Ib. 



The Bernicle goose, Bernicla lencopsis, is a remarkably 

 handsome goose with a short black bill, glossy black 

 head and neck, save for a prominent patch of white on 

 the cheeks, forehead and chin ; back beautifully barred 

 with black and lavender-grey, and a good deal of white 

 about the under parts, the legs and feet being black. In 



these islands it is more of a western than an eastern 

 bird, resorting regularly, and in considerable num- 

 bers, each winter, to certain of the western islands of 

 Scotland and some parts of Ireland. The Bernicle 

 goose is fond of the short grass growing in the neigh- 

 bourhood of salt water; it measures some 25 in. in 

 length, and will weigh up to $\ Ib. 



The Brent goose, Bernicla brenta, is a more strictly 

 marine species than any of the geese visiting our shores. 

 It is seldom found out of sight of salt water, and, in fact, 

 is rarely detected crossing dry land in its flight. From 

 the punt-gunner's point of view this goose takes rank 

 before all the other geese, and by him it is more 

 familiarly known as black goose. Although some few 

 Brent geese arrive in the north of Scotland late in 

 September or early in October, the main body of the 

 birds does not reach the southern parts of these islands 

 until November. Sportsmen distinguish two forms of 

 Brent geese the dark and the white-bellied the latter 

 being much the rarer of the two. Thousands of Brents 

 are distributed in certain localities along our coast-line. 

 In this country they subsist chiefly upon the tape-like 

 fronds of the grass-wrack, Zostera marina. This grows 

 in great abundance upon the partially submerged mud- 

 banks in several estuaries and along certain parts of the 



