392 



our party killed a young bird, hardly able to fly, on Round Island." It is stated to be very 

 numerous in Novaya Zemlya ; and Mr. G. Gillett records it (Ibis, 1870, p. 308) as being " common 

 in Matthew's Straits." It occurs off the coasts of the White Sea; but Messrs. Seebohm and 

 Harvie-Brown did not observe it on the Petchora river. In Central Russia it is very rare ; for 

 Mr. Sabanaeff informs me that he only knows of one instance of its occurrence in the Moscow 

 Government, but he believes that it is found on passage in the Ural, though he himself did not 

 see it. It is also rare in Poland ; and Mr. Taczanowski informs me that there is a single Polish- 

 killed example in the Warsaw Museum ; but on the coasts of North Germany, Borggreve says, 

 it is common ; and on the Danish coasts it is the most numerous of all the Geese on passage, 

 arriving in September, and remaining in mild seasons throughout the winter, passing northward 

 again late in May or early in June. On the coasts of Holland and Belgium it is tolerably common 

 in winter, and is often seen in large flocks ; but Messrs. Degland and Gerbe say that on the 

 northern coasts of France it is less numerous than the Barnacle, and is almost always seen on the 

 sea-coast. Off Dunkerque it appears in the autumn and winter after a north wind, and in the 

 spring after a gale from the east. In the south of France it is of rare occurrence. It is doubtful 

 if it is found off the coast of Portugal; and it has not been recorded from Spain. Salvadori 

 states that it is a rare straggler to Italy, and, on the authority of Perini, that one was killed 

 on the 24th of December at Bovolene, in the Veronese territory. It also straggles occasionally 

 into Southern Germany. Dr. Fritsch says that it is rare in Bohemia ; Palliardi saw several in 

 1841; he received one from Eisenberg on the 6th of March, 1850, and Mr. Hromadko one in 

 October 1851 at Pardubic. Mr. Lokaj also purchased two in the Prague market in the autumn. 

 In the Vienna Museum there is a specimen from Hungary, and another which was obtained near 

 Vienna in December 1844 ; and Messrs. Danford and Harvie-Brown state (Ibis, 1875, p. 426) 

 that it is very rare in Transylvania, but has occurred in various parts of the country. I do not 

 find it recorded from Turkey, Greece, or Asia Minor ; but it occurs in Southern Russia in winter ; 

 and Canon Tristram states (Ibis, 1868, p. 328) that it has been met with on the coast of Palestine. 

 Von Heuglin says (Orn. N.O.-Afr. p. 1292) that it visits Egypt in winter but rarely, and probably 

 not every year. He never saw it alive, but in February and March saw a tolerable number 

 exposed for sale in the markets at Alexandria and Damietta. The present species is also found 

 in Northern Asia. Von Middendorff says that it appeared on the Taimyr on the 4th (16th) June, 

 and bred there. On the 15th July (O. S.) he saw newly hatched young. Although he only saw 

 two pairs during the summer, yet between the 11th and 15th of August large flocks were passing 

 northwards. It breeds, he adds, also on the Boganida ; and I may mention tbat he gives a very 

 good figure of the young in down. I do not find it recorded by any of the other Siberian 

 travellers ; and I cannot say how far south it ranges in Asia. 



In America it is very common in the Hudson-Bay territory, where it breeds, and in winter 

 ranges far south. I used to see large flocks on the coasts of the Bay of Fundy during the seasons 

 of passage ; and it is common during the winter on the coasts of Texas. On the Pacific coast it 

 is replaced by a closely allied species (Bernicla nigricans), which differs in having the black on 

 the jugulum extended over most of the underparts, gradually fading behind ; and the white neck- 

 patches are usually larger, and meet in front. I have not been able to examine more than a 

 couple of specimens of this Goose, which do not appear to be quite mature in plumage, and I 



