Genus Melanonyx 75 



exclusively herbivorous birds, which graze on young crops. To this, however, it should be 

 added, not only on young crops but also on corn-stubbles, in rice-fields, and in general wherever 

 any garden or other cultivated plants have grown, these geese are able to make a living ; and 

 that as goslings they also eat animal food in the shape of insects, snails, crustaceans, and even 

 fish-roe. In summer and autumn, like all other geese, they consume in large quantities all 

 kinds of berries, especially the bilberry, of which there is no lack on the tundra. The summer 

 life of the bean-geese is almost entirely unknown. In fact we only know that the broods begin 

 to combine very early into more or less considerable flocks, and that towards the moulting 

 season of the old birds, that is, when the latter begin to lose their flight-feathers, and the 

 goslings are not yet fledged, the wanderings of the flocks (sometimes several hundreds 

 strong) to considerable distances on foot commence. That the geese seek at this time more 

 remote and retired spots in which to pass this most trying and dangerous period in their life 

 is beyond doubt. Such movements do not, however, constitute a peculiarity of the geese of 

 the genus Melanonyx alone, but are common to the majority of other geese. We have 

 already seen, for example, that this tendency to wandering manifests itself with still greater 

 force in the grey-lag goose ; and it is common to other kinds. 



The well-known sketch of such a migration of bean-geese in Mr. Seebohm's Siberia 

 in Europe, which was taken in the Pechora district, is very graphic, but loses almost all its 

 interest and importance owing to our ignorance of the species to which it refers, as these 

 might be yellow-billed or common bean- geese, the author making no distinction between 

 the two forms. 



It is a bad look-out for the geese if, during such a migration, they are observed by 

 man. The Samoyeds and other Siberian natives at such times supply themselves with 

 goose-meat in enormous quantities, so that their store is sometimes more than sufficient to 

 feed not only themselves but their dogs too for the whole year and more. This distinction 

 is, however, by no means confined to the bean-geese, but is shared by the whole anserine 

 tribe, wherever it has man for a neighbour. 



Further details of the summer habits of this group of geese are lacking, but judging 

 from a few observations made in East Siberia we may conclude that, from the first 

 essay of the goslings at flight, there commence the movements of separate broods or 

 flocks for the fields to feed, and these continue during the autumn and winter. 



These geese ordinarily go afield twice in the twenty-four hours, returning to the water 

 in the day and again for the night. Often, however, they fly in the daytime to rest on 

 water other than that where they pass the night. This, however, is not always so, and 

 I know for certain a place in the south where white-fronted geese resort together with 

 bean-geese (although these are few) for their daily rest and nightly shelter to the same 

 extensive estuary. 



" The winter life of the bean-geese," writes Professor Menzbier, " is monotonous in 

 the extreme. By day they feed in the fields and in the steppe, and fly away for the night 

 either to those parts of rivers which do not freeze, or to the sea." 



I may add that, during the daily rest, the bean-geese do not stay long on the water, 

 and, where possible, having drunk their fill, swim off to the shoals or land on sandbanks or 

 islands. During rest, and when feeding, these geese throw out sentinels, from time to time 

 relieved by others, which have already rested or satisfied their hunger. Sentinels are also 

 placed at night to watch the sleeping flock. 



Neither on the sea nor on lakes and rivers do geese pass the night on open water, but 



