346 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



it appears to be a regular visitant in very small flocks, consisting 

 of at most four or five birds. I have seen and carefully examined 

 specimens in the flesh which had been shot there. On the western 

 mainland it is even less common, occurring for the most part singly 

 or in pairs, and mixing with other wild geese. In this way it is 

 taken by the lessees of the west country shootings, and sent to the 

 Glasgow poulterers. One or two were killed in the winter of 

 1867-68 in the Clyde estuary. 



Writing from Newton, in North Uist, Mr John Macdonald states 

 that the habits of this bird differ from those of the grey-lag, and 

 that he has no difficulty in distinguishing flocks of both species 

 when shifting their quarters. " They arrive here," says Mr Mac- 

 donald, " in October and November, in small flocks which seldom 

 contain more than thirty birds; when watching their movements 

 on the wing, it often occurred to me that they were very undecided, 

 and seemed not sure of their course. I have known them go more 

 than a mile, then turn back and afterwards take the same course, 

 and this when not disturbed. When they alight they seem to 

 want the faculty of knowing, as the grey-lag does, the most 

 dangerous places. I have seen them in parks and enclosures near 

 houses localities generally avoided by the grey-lag, except when 

 tempted by corn or young clover. I have never noticed any Pink- 

 footed Geese after the month of January ; in fact, they then appear 

 to rest here only for about two months, and retire regularly to 

 some other attractive habitation. Their call is so very different 

 from any other geese, that there can be no mistake in distinguishing 

 them. They do not associate with the grey-lag, but I obtained a 

 single specimen which was shot in the midst of a flock of Bernicle 

 geese." , 



THE WHITE-FKONTED GOOSE. 



AN SEE ALBIFRONS. 



AFTER much patient research, I have come to the conclusion that 

 this species is the most local of all the British wild geese. It 

 seems to be plentiful in Islay, from which island I have seen fine 

 examples of the bird sent to the Glasgow bird stuffers; but in 

 nearly all the other islands, including the whole of the outer 

 group, it can only be ranked as a straggler. Mr Graham has met 



