656 



THE NATURE BOOK 



is least likely to be confounded with any 

 other species ; it is the most slender in 

 shape, and has a conspicuous white fore- 

 head, whilst the breast is irregularly 

 blotched with black. The hoarse and oft- 

 repeated " ha-ha " note has given this 

 species the name of the " Laughing 

 Goose." In length it is about 27 inches ; 

 but measurements alone cannot be de- 

 pended upon for identification purposes, 

 as they differ according to sex and age in 



The Grey-lag sometimes has a httle 

 white at the base of its beak and some 

 black feathers on the breast, but its flesh- 

 coloured legs and larger size will distin- 

 guish it from the yellow-legged and less 

 heavily built White-fronted species. 



Two kinds of Wild Swan visit us in 

 hard weather — the Hooper and Bewick. 

 Both may be known from the Mute 

 Swan, not only from the beak being 

 lemon rather than orange yellow, but also 



JV:o^Oi^i-aJ>h by /'. U'ebsUr^^civcastlc-oii-Tynt: 



MUTE SWAN ON NEST. 



most birds, and according to race with 

 some — the more northern forms being 

 generally the smaller. 



Grey-lag, Bean, and Pink-footed Geese 

 much resemble one another. The first- 

 named was once a resident in the eastern 

 counties, but now only breeds sparingly 

 in the north. It is the largest British 

 Goose, measuring nearly 3 ft., though the 

 Bean is only an inch or so shorter, and 

 the Pink-footed is about 28 inches. The 

 Grey-lag has flesh-coloured feet and beak, 

 white nail, and grey rump and wing 

 coverts. The Bean has yellow legs, brown 

 beak with black nail, with sometimes a 

 little yellow showing on the centre of the 

 beak. Tlie Pink-footed is somewhat simi- 

 lar, but its legi and the centre of its beak 

 are flesh-coloured and the nail is black. 



from the fact that the tip of the beak is 

 black and the base yellow, instead of vice 

 versii, as is the case with the tame species. 

 On the water they both — and the Hooper 

 especially — carry their necks more erect, 

 with the beak at right angles to the neck 

 — not depressed as is usually the case with 

 the Mute species. The Bewick Swans are 

 more Goose-like and sociable, and keep 

 closer together than the Hooper whilst 

 feeding. The heads and necks of both 

 species are often stained to an orange 

 yellow from the colour of the water in 

 which they feed. Their measurements are 

 respectively 5 ft. and 3 ft. 9 in. The 

 young of each are dark grey in the first 

 season, and light grey in the second. 



The small price which these birds fetch 

 in the market should tempt any naturalist 



