ANSER RUBRIROSTRIS. 65 



the probability is that nearly all the Asiatic birds are the latter. It occurs 

 in some numbers throughout Assam, but certainly is not a very common 

 bird anywhere in that province, as far as I can ascertain, except on the 

 Brahmapootra, when migrating north or south. Mr. Eden, however, says 

 that it occurs in great numbers in Sylhetj in a favourable year. Probably 

 it is in great numbers only when compared to the few found of other 

 species. 



Mr. Damant reports it to be common in Manipur, next door to Burmah; 

 and as regards Burmah itself. Gates writes : — "It occurs on the Chindwin 

 and Irrawaddy Rivers, and in the latter river it is abundant down to 

 Myingyan at least." 



A friend, m epistold, writing from Burmah, remarks : " I cannot think 

 how it is that the Grey Lag has not yet been recorded from Burmah. I 

 found it in thousands on the Irrawaddy, and also on some large bheels, a 

 considerable distance from the banks of the river." I have shot one or 

 two pairs in the Sunderbuns, but have seen very few birds indeed in that 

 part of the country, and, I think, east of Calcutta it is decidedly rare ; 

 indeed it is not common even in the C^alcutta markets, which are a veritable 

 bird-mine for the ornithologist in the right season, when the rarer edible 

 birds sometimes put in an appearance. 



In Assam, except in the Brahmapootra and the larger rivers, such as 

 the Surma, &c., it goes about in only small parties of some ten or a dozen, 

 but Cripps met with in Dacca on the Megna in a flock numbering about 

 200. This was the only time he noticed the Grey Lag in Dacca. As one 

 wanders further west the flocks become more and more numerous, until in 

 the western provinces sportsmen speak of flocks numbering their hundreds 

 which run into thousands. 



It is a bird of all elevations and is very common in Cashmere in winter, 

 and in other similar suitable places up to 6000 feet or more. 



" A Member of the Society " states that no geese are found in the 

 Konkan, Deccan, or Khandeish, but he records an Anser, by which he must 

 refer to the present species, from Gujerat ; here he says that it is not 

 common, but others have obtained them in great numbers. Hume mentions 

 having found flocks numbering fully 1200, and, I believe, refers to the 

 flocks he saw in Sind. 



In the British Museum Catalogue the distribution of this o'oose iseiveu 

 as " Siberia in winter, Northern India and Southern China " ; this, of 

 course, includes all the intervening countries, at all events whilst the birds 

 are on migi'ation. 



