ANATIPJE. 465 



position, especially if tempted by a field of young 

 barley or wheat just sprouting, of which it seems 

 especially fond. 



In a wild state the food of the Brent Goose ap- 

 pears to consist almost entirely of marine vegetables. 

 Yarrell says he has " repeatedly found the stomach 

 full of the leaves and stems of a species of grass 

 that grows abundantly in the shallow pools left by 

 the tide, and with the fronds of different Algae, par- 

 ticularly of one which seems to be the Laver." 

 Meyer adds to the list of food the insects that are 

 found on the sea-weed that has been washed up and 

 left by the tide. It breeds in very high northern 

 latitudes, and but very little seems to be known of 

 its nest or its habits during the breeding season. 



The Brent Goose is perhaps more elegantly 

 shaped than the Bemicle, but it is by no means so 

 strikingly or prettily coloured. The beak is black ; 

 the hides very dark brown ; the head, neck all 

 round and breast are black, except a small band of 

 white which nearly surrounds the neck about half 

 way down ; the feathers of the back and scapulars 

 are dark greyish brown, tipped with dirty brownish 

 white ; lesser wing- coverts the same ; the greater 

 wing-coverts the same, but tipped with a purer 

 white ; rump black ; upper tail-coverts white ; tail- 

 feathers black; quills black; lower part of the 

 breast, belly and flanks pale greyish brown, darker 

 on the thighs and immediately above them; vent, 



