124 Mr. A. Strickland on the British IVild Geese. 



difference of length may be the result of age ; but this cannot be 

 maintained, as its bill is small and weak, suited to its aquatic 

 habits — very unlike the short bill of the Bean Goose, suited to 

 its granivorous and herbivorous feeding. It may be possible 

 the goose found breeding in the north of Scotland by Mr. Selby 

 may be this species ; but the distinction between the Long- and 

 Short-billed Goose has been so entirely overlooked that we can- 

 not determine that without further reseai'ch, I will now give a 

 list of the species. 



Anas albifrons (White-fronted Goose). — Bill flesh-coloured. 

 (Gould, no. 34-9.) 



Anas ferus or Anser (Grey-lag Wild Goose). — Bill pink, nail 

 white. (Gould, no. 347.) 



Anas Segetum (Bean Goose, Short-billed or Migratory Goose). 

 — Bill short, strong, and deep, the depth at the base being 

 nearly two-thirds of its length ; pale red in the middle, black at 

 the extremities, but varies much in the proportions of these 

 colours. Old birds nearly as large and pale-coloured as the 

 Grey-lag Goose. 



Pink-footed Goose. — Bill nearly the si;me proportions and 

 colours as the last, but smaller and weaker ; bird less, and darker- 

 coloured. It is the young of the last ; but Mr. Yarrell has given 

 us a drawing of nearly an old bird for this supposed species. 



Anas paludosus (Carr-lag or Long-billed Goose). — Bill long 

 and weak, being exactly twice the length of its depth at the base. 

 This is the Bean Goose of Mr. YarrelPs and Mr. Gould's draw- 

 ings, but not of their descri])tious. (Gould, plate 348.) The 

 colour of the bill is like that of Segetum, and equally various. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE IV. 



[The figures are five-sixths the size of life.] 



Fiy. 1. Anas paludosus. Bill strongly toothed, a strong groove running 

 the whole length of the lower mandible ; bill 2| inches long, and 

 If inch deep at the base. 



Fi(j. 2. A. Segetum, from an old bird as large and pale-coloured as a 

 Grey-lag Goose. Bill 1| inch long, and 1| inch deep at the 

 base. In colour like the last; it is a pale red in the middle, and 

 black at the extremities ; but they vary greatly in the quantity 

 and form of the black ; indeed I have seldom found two alike. 

 The bill of this bird seems more allied to that of the Beniicles 

 than to that of the Long-billed Goose, with which it has been so 

 much confounded. 



Fiy. 3. Pink-footed Goose, from a bird received some years ago from 

 Mr. Bartlett ; it so entirely resembles the last as not to require 

 descri])tion, differing only in being a trifle smaller and weaker — 

 evidentlv the result of as:e. 



