THE PINK- FOOTED GOOSE 179 



THE PINK-FOOTED GOOSE 



ANSER BRACHYRHYNCHUS 



Folded wings not reaching to the extremity of the tail ; bill shorter than 

 the head, narrow and much contracted towards the tip, pink, with the 

 nail and base black ; head and neck reddish brown ; rest of the upper 

 plumage ash-grey, edged with greyish white ; under plumage in front 

 fawn-colour, behind white ; irides dark brown ; feet pink, tinged with 

 vermilion. Length two feet four inches. Eggs dull yellowish white. 



It is said that most, if not all the various species of wild Geese 

 have strong local attachments ; that flocks composed of one particu- 

 lar kind are in the habit of visiting, year after year, the same 

 spot, to the exclusion of other species, which may, nevertheless, 

 be found frequenting places of like character at no great distance. 

 Of the truth of the statement I met with signal confirmation 

 in the severe winter of 1860-1. I then spent several days on 

 the coast of Norfolk, for the purpose of watching the habits 

 of Waders and sea-fowl. Without indulging in the chase of wild 

 Geese, I heard and saw a great many flocks, of which some were 

 unmistakably Brent Geese ; others, of a larger size and a different 

 colour,I was obliged to include under the comprehensive name of Grey 

 Geese. The Brents, I found, regularly repaired to the salt marshes 

 adjoining Thornham Harbour, which, I was told, was their usual 

 place of resort. The others were known to alight only in the meadows 

 near Holkham. Having heard that several had been shot at the 

 latter place, I procured one, and on examination it proved to be the 

 present species, up to that time entirely unknown to me. On 

 consulting Yarrell, I found the following passage : — ' In January 

 of the present year, 1841, I was favoured with a letter from the 

 Hon. and Rev. Thomas Keppel, of Warham Rectory, near Holkam, 

 informing me that a Pink-footed Goose had been killed by his 

 nephew. Lord Coke, at Holkam. This bird was shot out of a flock 

 of about twenty, but nothing particular was observed in their 

 flight or habits.' The bird brought to me had been shot, along with 

 many others, out of similar flocks, in exactly the same place, at 

 an interval of twenty years ; and I have no doubt that the many 

 other specimens which have been shot there between the above 

 two dates, belonged to the same species, the characters which dis- 

 tinguish it from the common Bean Goose being not sufficiently 

 striking to attract the notice of seaside gunners. The habits of 

 the species appear not to differ from those of its congener ; it arrives 

 and departs about the same time, and it frequents the marshes 

 and uplands of Norfolk, and in winter the east coast of Scotland. 



