383 



ANSEB EBYTHBOPUS. 



(LESSER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE.) 



Anas erythropus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 197 (1766). 



Anser finmarchicus, Gunner, in Leemii de Lappon. Comm. notis, p. 264 (1767). 



Anser temmmckii, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 882. 



Anser cineraceus, C. L. Brehm, Lehrb. Naturg. eur. Vog. ii. p. 772 (1824). 



Anser minatus, J. F. Naumann, Vog. Deutschl. xi. p. 364 (1842). 



Anser erythropus (Linn.), Newton, P. Z. S. 1860, p. 341. 



Ziverggans, Schwalbengans, German ; Dwerggans, Dutch ; Duoergaas, Danish ; Finmarks- 

 gaas, Dverg-gaas, Norwegian ; Dverggas, Fjellgas, Swedish ; Kiljuhanhi, Finnish ; Piskun, 

 Kussian. 



Figures notabiles. 



Kjferb. Orn. Dan. Suppl. taf. 24; Fritsch, Vog. Eur. taf. 45. figs. 3, 7; Naumann, Vog. 

 Deutschl. taf. 290 ; Sundevall, Svensk, Fogl. pi. 57. fig. 3 ; Schlegel, Vog. Nederl. pi. 283. 



Anseri albifronti similis sed conspicue minor, fronte alba magis extensa : rostro albido cameo tincto : ungue 

 corneo-albo, pedibus aurantiacis : iride fusca. 



Adult Male (Lower Volga, October) . In general plumage closely resembling Anser albifrons, but darker 

 and much smaller in size, the bill being also proportionally smaller; uuderparts rather more profusely 

 marked with black ; white band on the forehead broader, extending nearly to the centre of the crown ; 

 bill dull white with a flesh tinge ; nail pale horn-colour ; iris brown ; legs and edge of eyelids orange- 

 yellow; lamellae of the bill less perceptible than in Anser albifrons. Total length about 20 inches, 

 culmen l - 5, wing 15'5, tail 5 - 0, tarsus 2-5. 



Adult Female (Japan) . Resembles the male, but is rather duller and more rufescent in tinge of colour. 



Obs. The female is rather smaller than the male ; but the males vary a good deal in size. The examples 

 from Siberia, both females, are very small, but not less than the bird obtained in North Africa by 

 Mr. Gurney, which measures — wing 12-4, tarsus 2"2, culmen 13. 



This miniature White-fronted Goose is an inhabitant of Northern and Eastern Europe, but rarely 

 straggling into the western countries. In Asia it ranges right across to Japan ; and it has been 

 on more than one occasion obtained in North-east Africa in the winter season. 



It has not been observed in Great Britain, but occurs in Scandinavia, where, however, it is 

 only a rare visitant on passage, except in the northern districts. Mr. Collett informs me that one 

 was caught alive on- the islands off Christiania in 1852, and another was shot out of a flock there 

 in 1865. Several pairs are said to breed on the Lofoten Isles; and on the Varanger fiord, 



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