464 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



the top of the head, neck all round and breast black ; 

 the feathers of the back and scapulars grey at the 

 base, then a broadish bar of black and white at the 

 tips; wing-coverts the same; rump bluish black; 

 upper tail- co verts white ; primary quills grey at the 

 base, black towards the tips ; tertials the same, but 

 with less black, only slightly tipped with it; tail- 

 feathers black; belly and all the under parts white, 

 slightly tinged with grey on the flanks and thighs ; 

 legs, toes, webs and claws black. The young birds 

 have the white of the cheeks varied with black 

 feathers ; the ends of the feathers on the back and 

 wing- coverts tinged with red ; the flanks barred with 

 darker grey.* 



The eggs are said to be white. 



BRENT GOOSE, Anser torquatus. The Brent Goose 

 has been taken on our coast at Weston-super-Mare, 

 as I have been informed by my friend, the Kev. 

 Murray A. Mathew, and probably occasionally at 

 other places. As Laver seems to form part of its 

 food, I wonder it has not occurred oftener, especially 

 in the neighbourhood of Minehead, the head-quarters 

 of that sea- weed. This is a more common winter 

 visitor on the southern coast of the neighbouring 

 counties of Dorset and Devon than in this county. 

 It is easily kept in confinement, and becomes very 

 tame, but cannot quite overcome a wandering dis- 



* Yarrell, vol. iii., p. 108. 



