44 Geese of Europe and Asia 



Adult Male 



Head and neck brown, colouring on cheeks and throat somewhat lighter than on 

 crown and nape ; forehead and feathering along base of upper mandible and terminal part of 

 feathering of chin white, the latter being at times entirely white, but rarely without any white 

 at all, the difference being apparently unconnected with either sex or age. Width of white 

 blaze on forehead, which may vary in different individuals, only in very rare cases reaches 

 the line joining anterior angles of eyes ; in the vast majority of cases, however, the white 

 ceases considerably short of the above-mentioned line. On the whole, this white patch on 

 the forehead seldom has a breadth posteriorly of one inch ( = 25.4 mm.), as, for example, is 

 the case in a specimen from Livonia. 1 White on forehead and sides of base of upper 

 mandible bordered behind with black, or, more seldom, blackish, gradually merging behind 

 into brown colouring of head. 2 Whole of back and scapulars, as also tertiary wing-feathers, 

 dark greyish brown with whitish grey edgings. Rump dark brown or blackish ; upper tail- 

 coverts white ; tail-feathers, sixteen, 3 greyish brown with white edges and tips. 4 Anterior 

 part of breast pale ashen grey with lighter edges to feathers ; belly whitish, with more 

 or less numerous and variously sized black patches, which in perfectly adult (probably 

 even very old) specimens develop so much as to cover almost whole surface save hindmost 

 part, which, like the vent and all the lower tail-coverts, is pure white ; flanks brown, with 

 broad pale edgings to feathers. 



Upper lesser wing-coverts greyish brown ; median and greater brown, with broad 

 white tips. Lower wing-coverts and axillaries dark greyish earthy colour. Outer primaries 

 and secondaries entirely brownish black, secondaries with narrow greyish edgings ; shafts 

 of all primaries and secondaries, with exception of dark tips, white. 



Here I consider it necessary to state that in the intensity of its general brown 

 colouring this goose is just as liable to individual variations as is the grey-lag {Anser 

 anser) ; at the same time, so far as I can judge from the material examined, such variations 

 are not dependent on either sex or age. 5 Generally speaking, in all the geese individual 

 variations in colouring are considerable, and in the case of the pink-footed goose I point 

 out that, even in the young in down from one nest, the colouring shows considerable 

 differences between one specimen and another. 



Adult Female 



Differs, apparently, in no respect from the gander as regards colour, but is on the 

 whole somewhat inferior in size. I therefore quote the dimensions of the white-fronted 

 goose, without stating the sex ; this being the less to be regretted, seeing that it did not 

 seem possible to give the limits for the maximum measurements of the female, on account 

 of the inadequate material. 



I may also direct the attention of the reader to the fact that, although in the 

 extreme east of Russia individuals occur exceeding specimens of more westerly origin, yet 

 even there, alongside of larger birds, are to be met with specimens which by no means 

 excel European birds, notwithstanding their complete maturity. The bill in the eastern 



1 Kindly communicated to me by Mr. Buturlin. 



2 Specimens occur in which this black border is very feebly expressed, but oftener it is sharply marked. 



3 Very possibly sometimes rising to eighteen. 



4 Seemingly the white edge and tips of the tail-feathers become wider with the age of the bird. 



5 Here, it seems, the time of year plays some part, as I always found fresh plumage darker and purer than is the case in spring 

 specimens, when the feathers near moulting are battered and faded. 



