Yellow-billed Bean-Goose 



95 



(partim), " Ibis," 1897, pp. 5-6; Brauner, Kratk. Opred. dichi stepn. pol. Rossii, pt. ц Ptitsy, p. 99 



(1897) ; Coburn, "Zoologist," 1902, p. 441 pro parte, pi. iii. 

 Anser middendorffii, Severtsov, Vert. Gor. raspr. Turk. Zh., pp. 70 and 149 ; id.. Cab. J. f. Orn., 1874, p. 435. 

 Anser segetum middendorffii, Khomyakov, Pt. Ryaz. gub., pp. 34 and 35, pi. ii. fig. 2 {nee fig. 3). 

 Anser segetum, var. serrirostris (Swinhoe), Pleske, Rev. Turkest. Orn., Mem. Ac. Sc. St. Petersburg, xxxvi. 



No. 3, p. 54. 

 Anser middendorffii, Severtsov, Cab. J. f. Orn., 1875, p. 184 ; Buturlin {partim respectu Turkestani), Dikie Gusi 



Ros. Im. ("Psov. i Ruzh. Okh.," 1901); id., separ., p. 31. 

 Anser segetum, ѵъх. arvensis, Buturlin, Tabl. opred. plastinchatokl. ("Psov. i Ruzh. Okh.," 1900); id., separ., p. 8. 

 Anser segetum arvensis, Buturlin, Sinopt. tabl. Okhotn. Pt, p. 44 (1901). 

 Anser fab alts, Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxvii. p. 99 (1895), partim (cum A. segetum) ; Oates, Man. Game 



Birds of India, ii. p. 74 (1899). 

 Anser serrirostris, var. middendorffii, Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxvii. p. 102 {partim; resp. Turk.), 1895. 

 Anser leuconyx, Selys-Longchamps, Naumannia, 1856, p. 398. 

 ? Anser paludosus, Strickland, Rep. Brit. Assoc, 1858, pp. 131, 132 ; Coburn, " Zoologist," 1902, p. 441, pi. iii. 



Note. — I am compelled to omit the rest of the Russian sporting literature which may concern this species, as I was obliged to 

 do in the case of M. segetum, being absolutely unable to make anything out of it, that is to say, to which of these two species authors' 

 statements refer. I shall discuss this question at greater detail in the paragraph on the geographical distribution of the present species. 



Adult Male 



Head and neck grey-brown with faint reddish, sometimes rusty or yellowish buff, 

 tint. Along whole of base of upper mandible more or less developed white feathering, in 

 very young birds and, more seldom, in very old individuals absent. Occasionally this 

 white feathering attains on forehead a breadth of 15 mm. ( = 0.59 in.). White feathering 

 around base often interrupted by naked angles of bill, projecting into forehead laterally, 

 but variations in its breadth noticeable in different individuals, independently of sex 

 and age. 



Forehead, occiput, and nape somewhat darker than remaining parts of head ; often, 

 but not always, a dark band stretches back in continuation of gape. Chin and throat 

 almost always coloured somewhat lighter than cheeks, and descending, this colouring, 

 gradually becoming lighter, passes on upper breast into yellowish white with grey spots 

 of indeterminate shape. Lower part of breast and belly greyish white. Flanks dark 

 brown, with whitish brown edgings to feathers, which as they approach wing become 

 lighter, and pass finally, at the wing itself, into almost pure white. Thighs light grey. 

 Lower part of neck behind and mantle grey-brown, with lighter greyish margins to 

 feathers ; back and scapulars dark brown, edgings to feathers at first greyish brown and at 

 tips whitish, forming a regular transverse light (whitish) wavy pattern on dark ground. 

 Similar light wavy but less marked undulations occur in 4 to 6 bars on wing-coverts, 

 which, with exception of a smaller dark ashy grey area lying nearer edge of wing, are 

 of same colour as scapulars. Rump brown - black ; tail-coverts, both upper and lower, 

 and sides of crissum and whole of vent, white. 



Tail-feathers 18 in number, very rarely 20, brownish grey-black with broad white 

 tips ; median, with narrow whitish margins ; on next tail-feathers (outwards) these margins 

 continually increase in breadth ; under-side of tail-feathers white with greyish mottlings, 

 centre grey with minute white speckles. 



Wing above brown, more greyish on bend, alulae, and primary wing- coverts. 

 Primaries brown and greyish only basally, remaining flight-feathers dark brown. Under 

 wing-coverts and axillaries dark grey or soot colour, but glossy, smaller wing-coverts being 

 here lighter. 



