122 Geese of Europe and Asia 



vermilion colour in the figure of the bill sent me by Mr. Frohawk has nothing in 

 common with the pure rose or rose-flesh colouring of the band on the bills of M. brachy- 

 rhynchus or M. neglectus. 



I may add, as the result of a verbal communication from the author, that the 

 bean-goose recorded by Mr. A. P. Semenov in Priroda Okhota for 1898 from the Ryazan 

 Government had a pale flesh-coloured band on the bill and yellow feet, so that in all 

 probability it belonged to this same M. carneirostris, and not to M. brachyrhynchus, as 

 Mr. Semenov at first supposed. 



To my great regret, this example was not preserved. The fact, however, that the 

 specimen (a very small one) was shot from a flock simultaneously with a typical bean-goose 

 is, in my opinion, favourable to the supposition that between M. carneirostris and M. segetttm 

 no specific difference exists, but that we have to do either with a case of age, dimorphism, 

 or a mere individual peculiarity. 



This view is supported by the fact that a similar variation occurs in the East 

 Siberian form of the bean -goose (M. segetum serrirostris), three examples of which, 

 collected by Mr. Sokolnikov in the Anadyr region, were sent to me for examination by 

 Professor Menzbier. 



On the labels of these skins Mr. Sokolnikov has noted that the bands on the bills 

 were of a dark flesh-colour, and therefore the specimens were inscribed " Novaia Zemlia 

 goose." Further notes on these specimens appear later; but seeing that, with the exception 

 of the colouring of the bill of the Novaia Zemlia bean-geese, I can find in von Heuglin's 

 account no difference from the ordinary M. segetum, I consider it superfluous to quote the 

 description given by this author, which would merely encumber a work already somewhat 

 heavy reading. 



Having expressed my conviction that M. carneirostris is apparently a mere synonym 

 for the bean-goose, I may add that I am not entitled to assert that this opinion is incon- 

 trovertible. It may be — although I am personally disinclined to admit it — that further 

 investigations will show that I am mistaken ; but at present I have nothing definite in 

 favour of the supposition that there exists a distinct species of Novaia Zemlia goose. 



