Genus Melanonyx 77 



natural or not, provided their colour be approximately true. The more life-like they are, 

 however, the better is the chance of their attracting the geese. If the decoy be arranged on 

 land, somewhere near the feeding-grounds of the flock, it is sufficient to make mere profiles 

 of geese, of iron or other material, painted as near as possible the colour of nature. 



For further details concerning the geese of this group, however scanty, the reader 

 may refer to the separate headings of each species. 



In conclusion, I desire once more to direct the attention of future observers of geese 

 to my conviction that, at least in the species of the genus Melanonyx, the number of teeth 

 along the edges of the upper mandible increases with age, that is, that in the young there 

 are somewhat fewer of these teeth than in full-grown birds. 



