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in irregular bars. Neither the White-fronted nor any Geese, except the Brent, settle on the 

 water often, unless driven to do so, as they seem to prefer land.' From this island, as has been 

 remarked, stragglers appear to leave the main body occasionally, and make their appearance 

 here and there as solitary visitors to farm-steadings. The last deserter I had the opportunity of 

 examining (a very beautiful male bird) was shot on the Clyde, near Dumbarton, on the 15th 

 January 1868. In the eastern counties of Scotland the principal flock of White-fronted Geese 

 seems to attach itself to the county of Elgin or Moray, where the species seems to have attracted 

 the notice of the late Mr. St. John many years ago. Southwards it is found wandering in exactly 

 the same way as has been observed in the west. I have seen stray specimens killed in Forfar- 

 shire and Aberdeen ; and the Earl of Haddington informs me that a very fine specimen, in adult 

 plumage, now in his collection, was shot in a meadow at the mouth of the Tyne, in East Lothian, 

 on the 11th February 1867." 



As in England, the present species is found in Ireland during the winter season, and, Thompson 

 states, is a tolerably regular visitant. 



It is not improbable that the White-fronted Goose of Greenland may be the large-billed 

 form Anser gambeli; but I have been unable to convince myself of this by an examination of 

 specimens. Professor Newton says that it occurs not unfrequently between 66° and 68° N. lat., 

 and was observed by the German expedition on the east coast; and Captain Feilden writes to 

 me as follows : — " My first landing in Greenland took place at Disco, north of the line indicated 

 by Professor Newton. This Goose is not known about the settlement of Godhavn ; but I dare say 

 that its absence is due to the island of Disco being too far seaward to suit the habits of this bird. 

 On the south side of Disco Bay, at the settlement of Egedesminde, the Governor kindly gave me 

 a sitting of eggs taken during the summer of 1876 from one of the skerries or little islands so 

 numerous in that part of Disco Bay. Unfortunately I could not lay hands on a skin or even a 

 head of this Goose. The Governor assured me that it is by no means common in the district of 

 Egedesminde. Professor Newton writes (Notes Orn. Icel. p. 16): — "Faber only observed this 

 species in the south of Iceland. He says it breeds there, a statement doubted by Dr. Kruper. 

 Faber never states, as asserted by Herr Preyer, that he did not obtain it. On the 11th of May, 

 1858, I saw several freshly-killed examples at Beykjavik, one of which I purchased, and had it 

 preserved as a specimen. All the Icelanders who saw it recognized it as ' Helsingi.' " Mr. Miiller 

 informed Captain Feilden that one was seen amongst other Wild Geese on the island of Mygoenses 

 in April 1867. 



Earlier writers asserted that the present species breeds in Scandinavia; but this statement 

 appears to be based on a confusion between it and Anser erythropus, which not unfrequently 

 nests in Northern Scandinavia; whereas Anser albifrons is not with certainty known to occur 

 there during the breeding-season, and is only found during the seasons of passage. Mr. Collett 

 informs me, however, that Mr. Nordvi has observed it on the Varanger fiord as late as June, and 

 that it occurs along the southern coasts of Norway in flocks or singly during passage and in 

 winter, and is not rare. Professor A. J. Malmgren has written (Not. Sallsk. Faun. & Flor. 

 Fenn. x. 1869) an excellent article on the distribution of the Geese in Scandinavia, in which he 

 carefully sifts the information on record respecting the present species and Anser erythropus. 

 He states that though most of the records of White-fronted Geese in Sweden refer to Anser 



