78 BRITISH BIRDS 



Eggs. Usually 4-6. Yellowish-white, being sometimes 

 blotched, sometimes wholly concealed by shades varying from 

 reddish to blackish-brown, and from pale to reddish-yellow. 

 Rarely purplish underlying marks. Av. size, 1 '52x1*20 in. 

 Laying begins April-May. One brood 



VIIL ORDER : ANSERITORMES. SUB-ORDER: 

 ANSERE8 



Family : Anatidce. (a) Subfamily, Anserince Geese 



157. Greylag-goose [Anser anser (Linnaeus) ; Anser cinereus 

 Meyer]. Resident. Breeds IS". Scotland. Elsewhere winter 

 visitor or bird of passage. 



Bird. Length 34 in. Distinguished from two of the other 

 and rarer Grey Geese (bean-goose, pinkfooted-goose) by the white 

 tip or nail to the bill, and from the third, the white-fronted- 

 goose, which has also a white nail, by having only a little or 

 110 white feathering round the base of the bill instead of the 

 conspicuous white patch on the face, which gives the latter 

 species its name. Beak, except tip, and legs pink flesh- 

 coloured. Plumage mostly greyish-brown, lighter on the 

 under-parts, with paler margins on the back and scapulars, and 

 dusky bars on the under-parts. Rump and wing-coverts 

 bluish-grey. Belly dull white. White tip to tail. 



Nest. Usually in heather not far from water ; often on a 

 small islet ; also in coarse marsh herbage. A scrape lined 

 with heather, rushes, grasses, &c., with an inner lining of the 

 bird's feathers and down. 



Eggs. Usually 4-6. Till stained they are dull yellowish- 

 white. Av. size, 3 '43 x 2*3 in. Laying begins mid to end 

 April. One brood. 



158. Barnacle-goose [Branta leucopsis (Bechstein); Bernicla 



leucopsis (Bechstein)]. A winter visitor, 

 chiefly to our western coasts, especially 

 the Solway. Bird of passage. 



Bird. Length 27 in. Recognised by 

 the white face and throat enclosed by 

 the surrounding glossy black of the 

 crown, neck, and upper breast. Lores 

 black. Mantle and wing-coverts lavender- 

 grey with dark edgings, these being 

 rimmed white. Beak, legs, tail, wing 

 quills black. Breast and flanks whitish, 

 the latter barred grey. Tail-coverts and belly white. The 

 young has the white of the head tinged brown or dusky. 



159. Brent-goose [Branta bernicla bernida (L.); Bernicla 



