36JJ 



ANSER BEACHYEHYNCHUS. 



(PINK-FOOTED GOOSE.) 



1 Anser obscurus, C. L. Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. p. 839 (1831). 



i 



Anser brachyrhynchus, Baill. Mem. de la Soc. roy. d'em. d'Abbev. 1833, p. 74. 

 Anser pluenicopus, Bartlett, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1839, p. 3. 

 1 Anser segetum, J. F. Naum. Vog. Deutschl. xi. p. 287 (1842, nee Gmel.). 

 Anser rufescens, Palmen, Finl. Fogl. ii. p. 339 (1873); nee Brehm, Beitr. zur Vogelk. iii. 

 p. 871 (1822). 



De Meine Bietgcms, Dutch ; Spetsbergens-Sadgas, Swedish. 



Figurce notabiles. 



Frisch, Vog. Deutschl. taf. 155; Fritsch, Vog. Eur. taf. 45. fig. 6; Sundevall, Svensk. Fogl. 

 pi. 82. fig. 1; Schlegel, Vog. Nederl. pis. 278, 279. 



Ad. A. cinereo similis sed minor, capite saturatiore, nee fronte albo notata : collo magis rufescenti-fusco : 

 uropygio fusco-schistaceo : tectricibus alarum saturatioribus et magis schistaceo tinctis : corpore subtus 

 fusco-albo, abdomine imo et subcaudalibus albis : hypochondriis et subalaribus sicut in A. cinereo 

 coloratis, sed his saturatioribus : rostro ad basin nigro et ungue nigro, in parte centrali rosaceo- 

 incarnato : pedibus rosaceo-incarnatis : iride fusca. 



Adult (Kincardine, 12th March) . In general coloration much resembling Anser cinereus ; but the neck has 

 a rather reddish brown tinge, there are seldom any white feathers at the base of the bill, and the head is 

 darker ; upper parts as in Anser cinereus ; but the rump is slaty brown, the lesser wing-coverts and edge 

 of the wing are of a darker and more slaty ash-blue ; underparts brownish white, becoming pure white 

 on the lower abdomen and under tail-coverts ; flanks and under wing-coverts as in Anser cinereus, hut 

 the latter are much darker ; bill black at the base, with a black nail, the central portion being pink ; 

 legs flesh-pink, or sometimes orange-pink; iris brown. Total length about 30 inches, culmen 1'95, 

 wing 16-8, tail 5 '8, tarsus 2 - 85. 



Young. Resembles the adult, but has the edgings to the feathers on the upper parts rather browner, and 

 the plumage generally is duller. 



Nestling. I do not possess the young bird in down ; but Professor Newton says that two he obtained in 

 Spitzbergen " are clothed in greenish yellow down, with patches of olive on the back of the head, lore, 

 and region of the eye, upperside of the wings, middle and lower part of the back, and the flanks ; but 

 the ground-colour of one is much darker than the other. One (the darkest) specimen, singularly 

 enough, has on the outer edge of the middle toe and on the outer interdigital web of each foot some 

 two or three small yellowish feathers — a fact I cannot at all explain." 



Obs. Mr. Cecil Smith, who has for some time past had several Pink-footed Geese in a state of semi- 

 domestication, sends me the following interesting note respecting the variation in colour of the beak 



4g 2 



