GREY-LAG GOOSE. 145 



the same may be said of it in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, 

 Durham, and Northumberland. This species visits both 

 Orkney and Shetland in winter, but does not remain to 

 breed there. Richard Dann, Esq. who has supplied me 

 with interesting notes referring to many of the species of 

 this extensive family of birds, more particularly as to their 

 breeding ground and habits in Scandinavia, says, " On 

 the inlets and islands from Bergen northwards, this Goose 

 is not uncommon during the summer, particularly about 

 Hitteren, where they are tolerably numerous early in 

 August, and one of our party shot one there, which proved 

 to be a very large gander. Their migration so far north, 

 however, seems to be confined to the coast, never having 

 met with them in Lapland, or in the northern parts of 

 Sweden or Norway. They make their appearance in the 

 Elbe at the latter end of August or the beginning of Sep- 

 tember, remaining there until October, and then go further 

 south." 



Professor Nilsson, who resides in the south-eastern part 

 of Sweden, says, that a few pairs make their appearance 

 there towards the end of April. The males leave the fens 

 when the females begin to sit, and collect in flocks near or 

 on the sea ; the females conduct their young when they 

 are ready to go. The eggs of this species are of a dull 

 yellowish ivory white, smooth and shining, measuring 

 three inches one line in length, by two inches and one line 

 in breadth. 



This species is said to go as far as Iceland in summer, 

 and to most of the countries still farther north, but late ob- 

 servers do not include them among the birds of the Arctic 

 regions, or of North America. The Grey-lag Goose is not 

 common in Holland or France, but is said to be more 

 abundant in Germany, and the central portions of Europe ; 



VOL. III. L 



