357 



measures be taken, become extinct as a breeding-species in Sutherland, as the nests are constantly 

 pillaged, and the birds shot by keepers and others at every opportunity. I plead guilty, in one 

 instance only, of having shot a female from her nest, in order to obtain a specimen. On one 

 loch a person told me that he had killed no less than ten old geese, shooting them on the same 

 day, as they rose from their nests — thus destroying altogether about sixty birds, young and old, 

 allowing five eggs to each sitting bird. In this particular locality they seem again to have 

 increased in numbers, whereas in most places only an occasional solitary nest is found. On 

 the islands of this loch I believe more geese breed annually than anywhere else in Scotland, at 

 least in proportion to the area. The average number of eggs is five or less, though I have found 

 six in the same nest. Young birds are easily reared from the eggs ; but I believe that these 

 never interbreed with the tame or domestic Goose, along with which they will feed in the same 

 yard, though almost invariably keeping at a little distance from them. If they were more strictly 

 confined along with the domestic birds, possibly they might interbreed ; indeed an instance did 

 occur in 1849, in the Zoological Gardens in London, as related, if I remember correctly, by 

 Darwin." In Shetland, according to Dr. Saxby, " this Goose may be regarded almost as an 

 accidental visitor, occurring in autumn or spring during bad weather, and never remaining beyond 

 a few days. Two were killed in North Mavine about eight years ago. It is said to have been 

 shot frequently in Unst ; but I never saw it during the whole period of my residence there." 



In Ireland this Goose is only an occasional and, I may add, a rare visitor. Mr. Thompson 

 (B. of Ireland, iii. pp. 28-30) gives various instances of its occurrence in that island, and adds 

 that probably it used to breed there, which does not appear to be the case now in any part of 

 the island. 



It has not been met with in Greenland ; and it is very doubtful if it has ever straggled as 

 far as Iceland. Mr. H. C. Miiller states that it used formerly to breed numei - ously in the Fseroes, 

 but it has not done so for the last thirty years or more, and only occurs during the two seasons 

 of migration. According to Mr. Collett it breeds numerously on the islands of the western and 

 northern coasts of Norway, being most numerous from the Trondhjems fjord northward to Alten, 

 in 70° N. lat. Sommerfelt says that it is usually met with in Finmark in spring ; but it is said to 

 breed on Tamso, in West Finmark. South of Stadt it breeds only here and there on the coast 

 off Bergen Stift, as, for instance, in Sondfjord, and down to the islands off Stavanger, in 59° N. 

 lat. On passage it follows the line of coast, and is seen inland much less frequently than the 

 Bean-Goose. It winters on all parts of the coast south of the Trondhjems fjord. Some authors 

 have recorded it as occurring in Spitzbergen; but this has since proved to be an error, as the 

 only Grey Goose found there is Anser brachyrhynchus, which was mistaken for the present 

 species. In Sweden the Grey-lag Goose is generally distributed, during the breeding-season, 

 from Skane up to the extreme north, arriving late in April and leaving for the south again late 

 in August. In Finland it breeds along the coast from near Wiborg right up to the top of the 

 Gulf of Bothnia. I used frequently to procure its eggs near Uleaborg, where it was common ; 

 and I have also seen it, during the nesting-season, at Ija and on the Kemi river. It arrives in 

 Finland early in May, and leaves from the early part of August to September. In Russia it 

 ranges at least as far north as Archangel ; but Messrs. Seebohm and Harvie-Brown did not meet 

 with it on their journey along the Petchora river. Mr. Sabanaeff says that it breeds numerously 



4f 



