ON BEAN-GEESE. 605 



birds figured by Middendorff, this error in judgment does not alter the 

 facts which are easily ascertained by a study of the original specimens. 

 Thus A. sibiricus, Alpheraky, is the only correct name for this eastern 

 bird. 



Anser oatesi, Rickett. — This bird was described in 1901 from one 

 unsexed specimen as being similar to A. brachy?'hynchus i but with 

 much larger bill (and white chin, as often is the case in this group). 

 Now Mr. Oates (Fig. 8) figures its bill yellow, as Mr. Rickett " has a 

 recollection that the pale part of the bill was yellow in life." Later 

 another specimen (sex not stated) was sent to the British Museum, but 

 all that is said by Mr. Oates about it is that it has wing 17'2 inch (as 

 against 16*4 of the first) and bill 2*5 inch (against 2*3). Mr. Oates 

 thinks that this bird requires no further description, and though its bill 

 resembles that of A. segetum, being somewhat longer and higher, the 

 length of wing, in Mr. Oates's opinion, will suffice to separate the two 

 species. 



As to myself, though somewhat acquainted with Bean-Geese in 

 general, A. oatesi after this description rests as mysterious as ever. 

 First of all, a recollection of the colours of birds one has shot once or 

 twice several years ago, is ordinarily somewhat a vague thing. Then, 

 it is not quite clear, why the bird was compared, not with A. segetum, 

 but with A. br achy rhync hits, if its bill* was yellow-ringed as in A. 

 segetum. Further, as A. bracliyrhynclius differs strongly from A. 

 segetum in some details of feather-colouring, it would be interesting to 

 know, to which of them Mr. Rickett's specimen is nearer. In A. 

 brachyrhynchus the upper wing coverts on primaries and (larger series) 

 on secondaries are light lavender grey ; in A. segetum the primary 

 coverts are dark lavender grey, in contrast with brownish larger 

 secondary coverts. 



Further still, the length of wing — being 16*4 — J 7*2 inches in two 

 unsexed specimens — cannot suffice to separate these birds from A. segetum. 

 Mr. Oates freely admits that he has never seen A. sevetum. I have 

 seen and shot them on Kolguev Island, and still have some specimens 

 (from Kolguev and Pechora) in my private collection ; and can state. 

 that adult specimens have wings from 410 m/m (16'15 inch) upwards. 



Last but not least : differences between A. oatesi and A. serrirostris 

 surely deserve further description. Not a word is devoted to this 

 * And legs also ? Surely its legs " require farther description," as many otter points. 



