Sushkin's Goose 81 



Geographical Distribution 



However strange it may appear, yet this goose, discovered and described only in 

 the last decade of the past century, is far from having the limited range which might 

 be supposed. Most astonishing of all is the circumstance that such a distinct, beautiful, 

 and apparently common goose (judging from its passage through the Ufa Government) 

 should have escaped notice during so many years by sportsmen and ornithologists alike. 

 Its breeding on Kolguev appears to be almost certain, while that in Novaia Zemlia is 

 fully proved. At any rate the bean-geese of Kolguev, with rosy bills and feet, mentioned 

 by Mr. Trevor-Battye, can scarcely be anything else than this species, as Mr. Buturlin г and 

 Professor Menzbier 2 have already pointed out. 



In the summer of 1902 Mr. Buturlin did not, however, find this species on Kolguev ; 

 but he was on the island when the moulting was already over and all the geese could fly, 

 and, as is well known, it is then difficult to obtain specimens. 



On the other hand, this explorer saw heads of this goose from Matochkin Shar 

 during his expedition the same year to Novaia Zemlia, as is stated in the Appendix. 



The second, but quite certain, home of this goose is Novaia Zemlia, whence Nosilov 

 brought, as I have already stated, one specimen, now in Moscow. Further, thanks to 

 ornithological investigations in the Ufa Government, we know that this species is common 

 there on migration ; and it was from the description of it by Dr. Sushkin that Dr. 

 Madarasz recognised it in winter near Panskov in Hungary, where apparently it must be 

 a not uncommon visitor, although taken by ornithologists for the short-billed goose on 

 account of the rosy flesh-colour of the soft-parts. 



Thus, Hungary may be considered either lying on the line of migration of this 

 species or, perhaps, one of its winter haunts. Another undoubted winter resort of this 

 species is Seistan in Persia, whence a young female was brought by Mr. Zarudny. This 

 latter fact affords grounds for surmising that the so-called M. brachyrhynchtis which, 

 from time to time, has been secured in winter in India, belonged to this species, and 

 not to the species above named, which could not possibly get there. If this be so, 

 there can be no further doubt that Sushkin's goose must be met with on passage in 

 various parts of the region lying between the extreme points where it has hitherto been 

 recorded. 3 It may indeed be that M. neglectus occurs also in other parts of Europe, and 

 I have grounds for believing that it strays in winter even to England. This is suggested 

 by the circumstance that the late Mr. J. Cordeaux, in his notice of the short-billed goose, 4 

 states that he from time to time came across geese so different from that species and the 

 ordinary bean-goose that he raised the question whether there might not be another race 

 of goose — Anser medius — in Great Britain. 



It seems to me clear that such examples could only belong to M. neglectus (from 

 Novaia Zemlia or Kolguev) or to the enigmatic M. carneirostris of Buturlin. As to whether 

 this species nests in the Turgai district near Urkach, as stated to Dr. Sushkin by Mr. 

 Nazarov, nothing can now be said, and although, as Mr. Buturlin justly observes, this is 

 difficult to admit, yet we have no right to absolutely deny its possibility. Indeed, we now 



1 Dikie gusi Rossiiskoi Imperii. 



2 Okhotnichi г promyslovyya ptitsy Yevropeiskoi Rossii. 



8 In 1902 it was got by Mr. Sorokin in the Ryazan district of the government of the same name, on its autumn passage. 

 4 John Cordeaux, British Birds, their Nests and Eggs, pi. 15, p. 68 (1896). 



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