Lesser White- fronted Goose 67 



the white-fronted goose) by the late Mr. Khomyakov, and, as we have already seen, by 

 Dr. Sushkin. 



As regards the Kharkov Government, however strange it may seem, this bird was not 

 met with by Mr. N. N. Somov. 



Before speaking of the Siberian birds, I will touch briefly on the visits of this goose 

 to Western Europe, where it is also not easy to note its appearance. It rarely wanders as 

 far as Great Britain, where Mr. Abel Chapman shot an undoubted specimen of this 

 species on September 16, 1886. There is, however, evidence of its straying to England 

 before this, but these cases are not fully established. It has been observed in Germany, 

 Holland, Belgium, France, Spain (in Seville, according to Lord Lilford), and probably from 

 time to time it appears throughout the whole of Western Europe, either in the late autumn 

 or in winter. Its occurrence is more regular in winter in Greece and Turkey, and it has 

 been found in North Egypt. 



As to lesser white-fronted geese in Northern Siberia, their winter haunts are the 

 Caspian and the valley of the Atrek, where they were observed, as we shall see below, by 

 Zhitnikov. The species undoubtedly winters in Persia, in small numbers in India, in South 

 China, and in Japan. On passage, it is met with in the Transural, in the Turgai district, 

 and generally in the greater part of Western Siberia, but neither in the Altai nor in the 

 Thian-Shan has it been seen on migration ; and, apparently, neither does it cross the range 

 of the Caucasus (Radde), so that it seems to avoid mountains generally. It is very common 

 on Lake Baikal, in Mongolia, Dauria, and the Ussuri district. 



Przevvalski saw it in very large numbers passing over Lake Khanka. By what 

 routes it flies to winter in Japan and South China is as yet difficult to determine, mainly 

 because the unfortunate confusion between the greater and lesser white-fronted geese makes 

 it now almost impossible to ascertain the exact lines of migration of this species not only in 

 Asia but in European Russia. 



Regarding Turkestan I can say nothing positive, but it is very probable that this 

 species passes through that area by several routes, and in larger numbers than we think ; so 

 far, however, it is only known from Issyk-kul. 



In the Orenburg Government its numbers are insignificant. On the whole, it will take 

 no small amount of data and time to clear up the lines of flight of the white-fronted goose 

 in Russia, unless sportsmen will come to the aid of ornithologists, which would be so easy 

 for them to do almost without any expenditure of time or labour. As, however, to the 

 explanation of Prof. M. A. Menzbier, that this species, in order to appear on passage in 

 Poland, the St. Petersburg Government, and Finland, may arrive from its Atlantic and 

 South Baltic winter quarters, such a view is perfectly unintelligible to me, but this may be 

 a slip of the pen of the author. 



Of the habits of this goose, on the whole, very little is known ; and I can only 

 quote the more important statements of those few authors who have not confused it with 

 the larger species. 



Dr. Sunstrom communicated to Mr. Dresser that, according to Lieutenant Widmark, 

 this goose nests in Lapland in localities in the neighbourhood of which the ice holds 

 during the whole time, and that it breeds in considerable numbers ; but he gives no 

 details. Lieutenant Widmark says that these geese moult about July 1, and he saw a 

 flock in full moult at the beginning of August When moulting, they collect in large 



