6г 



Geese of Europe and Asia 



The dimensions given here refer to adult birds of both sexes, since, notwithstanding 

 the very considerable material at my disposal, this was far from adequate to determine the 

 limiting dimensions for each sex separately. 



Total length 



Spread 



Wing 



Culmen 



Tarsus 



Middle toe without claw 



505-622 mm. ( = 20-24.4 in.) 

 1 280-1 300 mm. (= 50-51 in.) 

 345-395 mm. (= 12.50-15.50 in.) 

 29-37.5 mm. (= 1.10-1.47 in.) 

 51-66 mm. ( = 2-2.57 in.) 

 49-56 mm. (= 1.1 1-2.25 in.) 



Number of teeth on a side of upper mandible, 22, or perhaps 23. Weight from 

 4 to 6 Russian pounds. 



The folded wings very considerably overlap the tips of the tail-feathers, while in 

 the white-fronted goose the wings rarely do so, and then not more than 20-25 M, 

 ( = 0.78-0.98 in.). 



Note. — From among the separate individuals quote the measurements of a large male from the Turgai Territory and a large female from 



the Ryazan Government, communicated by Dr. Sushkin. 



Adult $ — Length . 



Spread . 



Wing . 



Tarsus . 



Culmen 

 Adult 9 — Length. 



Wing . 



Tarsus . 



Culmen 



622 



mm. 



[ = 24.4 in.) 



1295 



» V 



> 50.74 in.) 



38 



» V 



>I5 in.) 



66 



)> \ 



= 2.59 in.) 



37 



» V 



= 1.3 5 in.) 1 



609 



» , 



; = 23.9 in.) 



383 



J) 



; = 15.10 in.) 



60 



5) ' 



[= 2.36 in.) 



30 



55 \ 



\= 1. 1 8 in.) 



Young Birds in First Plumage 



Differ from adults by total absence of white on forehead and along sides of base 

 of upper mandible, as also on chin. White around bill replaced by black— usually rather 

 narrow, band, 2-4 mm. Only after first moult stray white feathers appear on this black 

 band. 



Lower part of body light smoky brown, the feathers being edged with dingy yellow. 

 Of black transverse patches on lower surface not a trace. Under tail-coverts, vent, and crissum 

 (posterior part of belly) white. Bill pinkish grey dingy in colouring. Legs pale dingy yellow, 

 sometimes with more or less strong touch of orange. 



I may remark that Dr. Sushkin informed me that he had seen in young birds, in 

 their first autumn, white feathers growing on the forehead, but that it was not known how 

 far this feature is normal, and that he had not noticed it in A. albifrons. But as there is 

 no doubt the lesser white-fronted goose in its first autumn begins to change its first plumage, 

 the appearance of white feathers on the forehead receives a very simple explanation. Dr. 

 Sushkin goes on to say: "Already in the first plumage, in the autumn, the edge of the 

 eyelids in Л. miniitus is noticeably swollen (in male more markedly) and of a lemon-colour. 

 Later orange-yellow and still more swollen." 



1 I may observe that neither the bill-measurements of Taczanowski in his Faune ornithologique de la Siberie orientale, nor those 

 of G. T. Radde in his Onus Caucasica, could be here taken account of, as they seem to me excessive for the lesser white-fronted goose, 

 and I have no doubt that both authors in this case took small specimens of A. albifrons for the lesser white-front, although it is possible that 

 Taczanowski, in giving culmen 40 mm., simply made a hurried and approximate measurement. 



