White-fronted Goose 55 



race, A. erythropus, L. 1 There was certainly some variation in size, but I have no doubt 

 that, like the specimens which I brought back, they all belonged to the larger form. The 

 white-fronted on Kolguev was far more wary than the bean-goose. A sitting bird would 

 not allow you to get within gunshot before she left her eggs. I may at once say that I 

 never myself identified this bird at the nest, though I have no doubt whatever in my own 

 mind that one of the nests we came across during our walk across the island belonged to 

 this species. 2 The four eggs, slightly smaller and rounder than those of the bean, and also 

 of a clearer creamy white, exactly agreed with some brought to me with the old birds by 

 Mekolka the Samoyed. I have reason to believe that, while the bean-goose is pretty 

 generally distributed over the whole island, the white-fronted affects rather the north-eastern 

 district. 



' On Kolguev this species moulted rather later than the bean. Of those we took at 

 the goosing on July 18, none had lost their primaries, and I saw many on the wing. I 

 have described elsewhere in this book the habits of the young bird in the down, which we 

 kept for a few days alive. They did not bring their young down to the sea as early as the 

 bean, but kept them to the lakes." 



As regards Novaia Zemlia, Mr. Pearson gives us very little information. He 

 found the white-fronted goose both in Ludtkeland and on the southern island. The 

 length of the specimens varied between 25 and 28 inches. They were in full moult about 

 July 23. 



Middendorfif (whom, by the way, all authors quote when writing of this goose) 

 observes that: "The vanguard of this species appeared on Boganida (70 N. lat.) some 

 days earlier than A. segetmn? viz. on April 27. On June 3 these geese reached the 

 river Taimyr. 



" To this species belonged the majority of the geese breeding in the Taimyr district ; 

 and, according to the statement of my interpreter, at the mouths of the Pyasina and Bolo- 

 chnaya (Balochnaya ?) this goose and the following are the almost sole nesters. 4 On July 

 10, I found, in 74° N. lat, a nest with two eggs in a hollow made in the top of a high conical 

 grassy tussock. The eggs were disposed on a thick layer of down. At the same time the 

 birds that were not breeding began to moult, and by July 15 we met with several flocks 

 which were no longer able to fly. 



" Other birds were still dropping their feathers on July 27. On August 3 they were 

 already fledged, although on August 2 I found, on the rocky Taimyr Lake, a goose of this 

 species engaged in hatching her eggs." 



Farther on, Middendorff says that one specimen of the species Anser intermedins 

 at any rate with the bill-colouring of the latter, had a oilmen length of 46 mm. (= 1.81 in.), 

 and from gape 49 mm. (=1.92 in.), with tarsus 68 mm. ( = 2.67 in.). 5 



Passing now to the North American continent, we learn that Dall found it 6 breeding 

 in great numbers on the banks of the Yukon in Alaska. He describes the nest as a mere 

 hollow in the sand. Farther eastwards MacFarlane found, at the mouth of the Anderson, a 

 nest of this goose thickly lined with dry grass, feathers, and down. The number of eggs 'in 



1 i.e. A. finmarchicus^ Gunner. 



2 This could be determined only by killing the bird straight from the nest. 



3 Either M. arvensis or M segetum serrirostris. 



4 i.e. A. finmarchicus. 



5 Evidently, this was a younger specimen with dark spots on the bill, which in fully mature birds is orange. 



6 A. albifrons gambeli. 



