BEAN GOOSE. 1 > 1 



tember; and the young ones are often caught on the islands 

 at the head of the Bothnian Gulph, and tamed. They 

 arrive in the south of Sweden the latter end of March or 

 the beginning of April, and remain about a month previous 

 to their departure north. During their stay they keep 

 amongst the dead reeds and rushes, feeding upon the roots 

 and young shoots. I have never seen this Goose upon the 

 coast in winter ; but, as before stated, it is reported to 

 breed in great numbers on the Norwegian coast." 



Professor Nilsson says the Bean Goose is the most com- 

 mon species in Sweden, and is also spread over Finland, 

 breeding upon the islands, and committing great ravages 

 upon the green corn. Mr. Hewitson says the Bean Goose 

 was rather numerous upon one of the large islands on the 

 west coast of Norway, near the Arctic circle, where it had 

 been breeding during the previous month. This species is 

 said to visit the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland. It 

 breeds also in great numbers at Nova Zembla. 



M. Temminck says the Bean Goose is abundant in Hol- 

 land, Germany, and France, but is more rare in the central 

 portions of Europe. It is found also in Spain, Provence, 

 and Italy. It is found also in winter in Sicily, and at 

 Malta. M. Vieillot mentions that one of the names of this 

 bird in France is, Harvest Goose, Oie des moissons, from 

 its frequenting corn-fields, and the destructive effects of 

 large flocks when feeding upon green corn. Our name of 

 Bean Goose Mr. Selby thinks has been suggested by the 

 decided partiality of the bird to pulse and grain. 



The bill is two inches and one quarter in length, nearly 

 as long as the head ; rather slender towards the end and 

 pointed ; the nail, edges, and base, black, the middle por- 

 tion orange; irides dark brown; the head and neck, brown, 

 tinged with grey; back and scapulars darker brown, 



