86 Geese of Europe and Asia 



of the lake, 1 and only during a high wind swim to shelter under the cliffs. Unfortunately 

 I was unable to note at Asly-kul whether the old birds made a previous inspection of the 

 lake ; but it seemed that this was not the case. In the morning (at break of day) the geese 

 hungry after their night's rest, rise in separate flocks and fly off again to the field. As I 

 was able to shoot every other day on the same small lake, and the geese at each successive 

 shoot did not seem any more cautious than on the first occasion, I came to the conclusion 

 that the halts of A, neglectus in the neighbourhood of Shungak-kul last less than two days. 



"The departure of the flocks which have stopped for the day takes place, so far as I 

 was able to judge, after the mid-day drink and after the night's rest on the water ; the flock 

 breaking up and flying, not to the field whence it arrived, but farther in the direction of its 

 migration. 



"Among the specimens of A. neglectus obtained by myself, there is not a single 

 example in first autumn plumage ; the moulting of the small feathers in all being not quite 

 complete. First to moult, it would seem, is the under-part of the body, next the head and 

 neck, last of all the scapulars. A specimen of A. segetum in my collection from the Ufa 

 district was shot on Shungak-kul from a flock of A. neglectus in a lucky right and left 

 which brought down four birds at once. 



" I sent one of my bag of A. neglectus to the British Museum, and another to the 

 Zoological Museum of the St. Petersburg Academy of Science." 



1 I think this must have been due to some special causes, as geese of other species under normal circumstances do not pass the 

 night on open and deep water. 



