414 ON THE WBKA RAIL AND SNOW-GOOSB. [Mar. 21, 



running about, on which occasions they will keep them uplifted 

 at different angles to their body. They can dig deep holes in the 

 ground with their bills, and use this power to make their escape 

 under a fence. My two pairs differed much in size ; and in the 

 larger pair the ground- tone of the plumage was very rufous, whilst 

 in the smaller pair the ground-tone was more dusky. In both 

 pairs, the males were larger than the females. They seem to be 

 very hardy birds, as they walk about most contentedly in the 

 snow. 



II. The Snow-Goose {Chen liyijerhoreus). 



Since the year 1887 I have possessed a pair of the white Snow- 

 Goose {Chen hyperhoreus). These birds were kept in company with 

 a number of other aquatic birds on a small piece of ornamental 

 water in my park. Every spring they paired, got very much 

 excited, and attempted to wander away, but no eggs were laid. 



Three years ago I purchased what was supposed to be a pair, 

 but which soon turned out to be two males of the Blue or Cassiu's 

 Snow- Goose {Chen ccerulescens). One of these males constantly 

 followed the pair of White Snow-Geese, and as he seemed not to 

 be too intrusive, he was, after some lame attempts on. the part of 

 the white male to drive him away, allowed to do as he liked. 

 This went on for two years, when, in the spring of 1898, the blue 

 male began to assert himself more and more, and finally got the 

 mastership over the white male, and entirely monopolized the 

 white female. In the end of May they were frequently seen to 

 pair, and one of the first days in June a nest was made near the 

 edge of the pond, on a heap of dry reeds that happened to be 

 there, and the first egg was laid. With one day between each 

 egg, two more eggs followed, and the female, after having plucked 

 an abundant supply of down from her own breast, began to sit. 



A curious thing now occurred. The blue male kept active 

 watch near the nest, and attacked fui'iously every living thing 

 that came near. The white male, however, who had taken the 

 most lively interest in the proceedings of his unfaithful spouse, 

 not being allowed to come near the nest, kept watch on the 

 other side of the water, just opposite the sitting bird, and there 

 kept the coast clear, in exactly the same way as did the blue male 

 on the side where the female actually sat. 



Between the two the female was very successfully taken care 

 of, for no accident happened, and on the 8th of July, that is 

 after an incubation of 29 days, the three eggs produced three 

 chicks, which were of a dark olive-green colour, ranging into slaty 

 black on the upperside and into yellowish on the belly. The feet 

 and legs and also the bill were black. 



As for fear of Crows and vermin the family had to be removed 

 into some safe place, I thought it right to give the white male 

 some compensation for all he had had to undergo, and to reunite 

 him with his rightful partner, leaving the usurper in the pond. 

 Both the white birds seemed to be quite happy with this arrange- 



