BEKNACL.E-GOOSE 69 



BERNACLE-GOOSE. Bernicla leucopsis (Bechstein). 



Coloured Figures. Gould, ' Birds of Great Britain,' vol. v, pi. 7 ; 

 Dresser, 'Birds of Europe,' vol. vi, pi. 415, fig. 1 ; Lilford, 

 ' Coloured Figures,' vol. vii, pi. 26 ; Alpheraky, ' Geese 

 of Europe and Asia,' pi. 20. 



The Bernacle and its congener, the Brent, are essentially 

 Sea-geese, and they resemble each other in many ways. 

 Both display a large amount of black in the plumage, the 

 Brent especially so. At a distance the Bernacle is distin- 

 guishable by the bold and well-defined patches of white 

 and lavender-grey, which render it a remarkably bright 

 and handsome bird. 



This species is a visitor of restricted range to our 

 shores in autumn and winter. Its distribution contrasts 

 with that of the Pink-footed, and in a less degree with that 

 of the Brent Goose ; thus the Bernacle mostly frequents 

 the west coasts of the British Isles, whereas the two former 

 species are more often seen along the east coasts. Large 

 numbers of Bernacles arrive at Solway Firth about the end 

 of September ; visiting at the same time the islands off the 

 coasts of Donegal, Mayo and other parts of the west, north 

 and north-east coasts of Ireland. 



The Bernacle has been taken while migrating at Aran- 

 more, where great numbers have been reported on passage. 

 This island appears to be in the direct migration line from 

 East Greenland, the principal breeding-resort of this Goose. 

 To the Hebrides, Orkneys and Shetlands it is not an infre- 

 quent visitor. 



I have sometimes seen solitary birds resting on the sea, 

 close to the city of Dublin. They probably had flown from 

 ornamental waters in the vicinity. This is all the more 

 likely, as most of my observations were made in July, when 

 the Geese, in a wild state, would have been breeding in 

 the far north. 



Imaginative persons, living in the more remote districts, 

 still believe that Bernacle and Brent Geese a distinction 

 seldom being made between the two species are hatched 

 from Barnacles which hang on drift timber. 



There is, another familar legend still in vogue, which 

 endeavours to account for the birth of these Geese, namely, 

 that certain trees overhanging the sea contained small 

 round berry-like bodies on the ends of their branches ; 



