22 Geese of Europe and Asia 



has been found on the Komandor Islands (Bering Isl.). At any rate, like Sevastianov, 1 

 I can refer the " white-necked geese," mentioned by Krasheninnikov in his Opisanie 

 Kamchatki, only to this species. 



I may here note that in the above work of Krasheninnikov, Sevastianov calls this 

 goose Anas canadicus, having forgotten probably that eighteen years previously it was named 

 and described by himself as Anas canagica, with the explanation that this name was given 

 to the species on account of its inhabiting the island of Kanaga. From the river Uka, 

 Kamchatka, there is an adult female in the Zoological Museum of the Imperial Academy 

 of Sciences at St. Petersburg, which in size of bill (culmen = 49 mm. or 1.92 in.) exceeds 

 very considerably the dimensions given by American ornithologists. The label on this 

 female bears the name KuHlski gus. 



A specimen from Bering Island, probably a male, brought by Mr. Grynewecki, is 

 also a big bird, and somewhat exceeds the American measurements. Personally I do not 

 at all doubt that this splendid goose will prove to breed even considerably westward of 

 Chukchiland, along the shore of the Arctic Ocean. The fact of several aquatic birds having 

 been quite lately found far more to the west of North-eastern Asia than they were supposed 

 to range in the days of Pallas, points to the probability of many other analogous discoveries 

 which at present we cannot even guess. So far, however, I can add nothing to the distribu- 

 tion of this species in the east ; on the other hand I am compelled to pass more to the 

 west and quote the statement of Messrs. Degland and Gerbe to the effect that Mr. E. 

 Verreaux twice obtained this goose from his correspondent on the banks of the Volga : on 

 the first occasion in 1849, an d then again in 1853. 



This last specimen was in the rich collection of Count Turati in Milan. Messrs. 

 Degland and Gerbe express themselves on the subject to the effect that, of course, they see 

 nothing impossible in such a fact, but that they included this species in their work under 

 a note of interrogation, as a member of the European fauna, since while perfectly trusting 

 Mr. E. Verreaux, they cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information of his correspondent. 

 On this observation I may remark that it seems to me easier to grant the possibility of this 

 goose accidentally straying from Eastern Siberia to the Volga, — the more that the western 

 limit of its breeding-grounds in Siberia is quite unknown,— than to explain how otherwise 

 these specimens could have come into the hands of Mr. Verreaux's correspondent at the 

 date in question, when it is even now by no means easy to obtain a skin of this goose 

 anywhere in Europe. Moreover it is hardly possible that Mr. Verreaux's correspondent 

 even suspected the value and the scientific importance which his specimen represents. To 

 suppose that these geese came into the hands of his correspondent from America is still 

 more difficult than to believe that they were derived from Chukchiland. 



1 I here quote the words of Sevastianov, only omitting the description of the bird and its dimensions. The description is printed 

 in vol. xiii., Nova Acta Acad. Sc. Imp. Petrop., p. 341. I preserve the orthography. "En parcourant la precieuse collection 

 d'oiseaux, apportee par Monsieur le capitaine de la flotte Billings de son voyage, fait dans FArchipel des Isles situees entre les c6tes 

 orientales de la Siberie et de Kamtchatka et les cotes occidentals de FAmerique, et que Flmperatrice, de glorieuse memoire Catherine II., 

 envoya a FAcademie pour etre conservee dans son Musee, j'ai trouve quelques varietes d'oiseaux, et entre autres une nouvelle espece de 

 canard, qui a mon scu n'a jamais ete decrite par aucun des naturalistes connus, c'est pourquoi j'ai entrepris d'en faire la description et de 

 donner la figure de cet oiseau, digne d'attirer la curiosite des Naturalistes par sa beaute et le melange elegant de ses couleurs." Here 

 follow the description and dimensions, which I omit. « Ce canard, dans le catalogue des oiseaux, rapportes par Mr. Billings/ porte le nom 

 systematique d'Anas canagica. II est tres probable que cette nouvelle espece a ete decouverte par Mr. le capitaine Billings sur FIsle Canaga 

 ou Kyktak, une des Isles Aleoutes les plus proches des cotes de FAmerique septentrionale, et situe derriere le cap Aliazka, et que le nom 

 de Fespece, c.a.d. canagica, a ete impose a cet oiseau du nom de la premiere tie, ou de celui des principaux habitans de File Kyktak, appellee 

 (sic) Caniaques ou Canaques, qui, peut-etre, ayant apprivoise cet oiseau Font rendu domestique. Ces (sic) sont des sauvages tres belliqueux 

 et que les Russes, dans un second voyage entrepris par Schelichoff, avaient beaucoup de peine a se soumettre. Je ne puis rien dire des mceurs 

 et des autres particularites, qui regardent cet oiseau, car nous n'avons aucune notice sur le voyage, n'ayant jamais vu le jour et ayant ete 

 depose dans les Archives du College de FAmiraute, ou il se trouve jusqu'a present.' 5 



