64 Geese of Europe and Asia 



(=1 in.); but more often the breadth of the blaze in this species only attains 19-20 mm. 

 ( = 0.74-0.78 in.). Consequently, the absolute breadth of this white patch in the adult lesser 

 white-fronted goose affords always considerably greater, and is a conspicuous and striking 

 character for the purpose of distinguishing these two species. With Mr. Oates's opinion, 

 that the black band bordering the white patch behind is of constant breadth, I cannot agree, 

 as it is in fact variable in breadth and even in colouring, being sometimes almost black, 

 and at other times hardly darker than the ground-colour of the head. Moreover, owing to 

 the general darker colouring of the head in the lesser goose, this black band is less striking 

 than on the lighter ground of the head of the white-fronted goose. 



In the lesser white-footed goose the yellow colouring and slightly swollen state of the 

 ceroma are extremely characteristic. These swollen eyelids, appearing so early (in the first 

 plumage), are of a lemon-yellow colour, forming a complete ring around the eye, which, as 

 we have already seen, is never the case with the white-fronted goose. 



Lemon-yellow is the colour given to this ring by Mr. Finn in the case of three living 

 birds г observed by him in captivity in India. Dr. Sushkin, we have seen, says the same, 

 adding that in more mature birds this ring becomes orange-yellow. But most important 

 of all is the question of the colouring of the bill of this small goose, which has led 

 to such grave misunderstandings among various authors. Some of them, and among the 

 number Count Salvadori, call the colouring of the bill of this species orange-yellow, this 

 determination being based on dry skins and stuffed birds. Moreover, the fact is apparent that 

 in the majority of cases these authors copied the description from each other. The error is 

 perfectly intelligible, if we take into consideration the fact that in the whole of Western 

 Europe this goose is comparatively rare, and that only very few who have written about 

 it had living or freshly killed specimens in their hands. There are also authors who call 

 the bill reddish grey (young birds) or dark flesh-colour (old birds), and that in birds 

 undoubtedly obtained in Western Europe. 



Apparently, those authors, who had not the opportunity of seeing freshly killed lesser 

 white-fronted geese, borrowed the description of the colouring of the bill mainly from 

 Naumann. 2 But the latter says : " The colour of the bill of young birds till the first autumn 

 moult is reddish grey, the nail blackish, the latter becoming later greyish white, and the 

 bill pale orange-yellow ; in old birds, it is bright reddish yellow or orange, the nail yellow 

 reddish white. Within, the bill is very pale reddish yellow, the tongue dark flesh-colour. 

 As after death, so also the dry bill turns a light horn-yellow colour, from which may 

 approximately be guessed the colour it had in life." 



The colouring of the bill given by Naumann for young birds (i.e. in first plumage) is 

 true alike for the specimens from Europe (European Russia) and for the oriental repre- 

 sentatives of this species. In regard, however, to old birds, great doubt exists in my mind 

 as to his expression bright reddish yellow or orange. To admit inaccuracy in Naumanns 

 description is difficult, but his further expression : after death the bill turns a light horn- 

 yellow colour, from which may approximately be guessed the colour it had in life — makes 

 one involuntarily think that, perhaps, Naumann trusted to such a possibility and called the 

 bill orange by judging dry skins. 



We have already seen that the same statement made by Naumann, after thoroughly 

 overhauling the question, in regard to the colouring of the bill of the white-fronted goose, 



1 Finn, How to Know the Indian Ducks. 

 2 Vogel Deutsche, xi. p. 868. 



