168 ANATHLE. 



appeared in the fourth volume of the Annals of Natural 

 History, it is observed, " Among the web-footed birds 

 which pass the season here, the Bean Geese are so com- 

 mon, at least in the southern island, that the collecting 

 their fallen wing-feathers is an object of profit ; according 

 to the assertions of the Walrus-catchers, only one species 

 of Goose comes to Nova Zembla, and we in fact got sight 

 of no other than the Bean Goose, and the Brent Goose, 

 which latter, however, does not pass for a Goose among the 

 Russians. The web-footed herbivorous birds, however, 

 collect in much greater numbers upon the island of Kol- 

 gujew, which is described as covered with Swans and Geese, 

 than in Nova Zembla, where the vegetation is too scanty. 

 On this account expeditions are sometimes sent hither to 

 kill and salt these birds. A merchant of Archangel told 

 me that once fifteen thousand Geese were killed here in 

 two hunts. 



In the adult male the bill is black, and only one inch and 

 a half in length ; the irides very dark brown, almost black ; 

 the forehead low, the head small and black ; the neck all 

 round black, except a small patch on each side, which is 

 white, but mixed with a few regularly placed black fea- 

 thers ; back, scapulars, wing-coverts, and tertials, dark 

 brownish black, the edges a little lighter in colour; pri- 

 mary and secondary quill -feathers black ; the rump black ; 

 upper tail- co verts white ; tail-feathers black ; upper part 

 of the breast black ; lower portion of the breast and the 

 belly slate-grey, with lighter coloured margins ; vent and 

 under tail -coverts white ; legs, toes, membranes, and claws 

 black. 



The whole length twenty-one inches. From the carpal 

 joint to the end of the wing thirteen inches ; the first quill- 

 feather the longest in the wing. 



