1^6 Geese of Europe and Asia 



Geographical Distribution 



If it be assumed, as I hold to be the case, that all the statements in regard to the 

 bean-goose of East Siberia made by Messrs. Middendorff, . Schrenck, Maak, Radde, and 

 Taczanowski refer to M. segetum serrirostris, 1 it may be safely said that the latter goose 

 occurs throughout Siberia to the east of 8o° W. long., breeding both in the whole tundra of 

 the northern part of the country from the Yenisei to Chukchiland inclusive, and in the taiga 

 considerably farther south than anywhere in the west, where M. segetum nests. We know, 

 for instance, that it breeds both on the Stanovoi range and on the island of Shantar ; and if 

 it does not nest, but only halts, on passage in Sakhalin, this can only be in consequence of 

 the absence of suitable spots on the latter island. On the western limit of its range, to the 

 north of Barnaul, where probably (together with M. arvensis) it is known under the name 

 of "chernevoi gus," it appears to descend much farther south than the western breeding- 

 area of M. segetum. 



To fix the southern boundary of the breeding-grounds in Siberia of M. segetum 

 serrirostris is at present impossible, and doubtless some considerable time must elapse before 

 this can be ascertained. If I consider that the form of M. segetum which authors speak of 

 as the East Siberian bird belongs to serriwstris, and not to the typical race, I do so merely 

 on the ground that I have not seen a single typical bean-goose from localities lying east- 

 ward of Lake Baikal, notwithstanding the considerable amount of material I have examined 

 from those parts. If, nevertheless, it should turn out that this is a mere chance, and that 

 typical bean-geese both breed and are met with in great numbers in East Siberia (as 

 stated by many writers), it would then probably be necessary to recognise M. serrirostris 

 as an independent species. To form any opinion based on our present imperfect informa- 

 tion, without a single specimen to confirm it, would, however, scarcely be in accordance 

 with scientific procedure. In winter M. segetum serrirostris descends into China, Korea, 

 and Japan, and, according to the missionary Abbe Armand David, is in winter more 

 numerous in China than all other geese taken together. On the return passage in spring it 

 sometimes even alights in the city of Peking itself. 



In view of the scantiness of our information regarding the Siberian bean-goose, the 

 following notices from various writers which seem to refer to this bird may be quoted. 

 Maak says: " On April 24 I saw the first pair on the Lena, 430 versts above the 

 Yakutsk. Afterwards I saw large flocks on the Lunkha (6o° N. lat.) during the whole of 

 May, and on the Vilyui even on June 6 ; they were flying in a north-westerly direction. 

 They never alighted on the Lunkha ; but about the mouth of the Vilyui, from the latter days 

 of April till May 10, they might be seen in thousands on the shoals. They often breed 

 round lakes of the Vilyui basin, far removed from human habitation. Here moulting 

 continued till July 25, on which day I no longer noticed any geese of this species on 

 the wing. 2 While on the Khaingia (65 30' N. lat.) I often saw bean -geese that had 

 only just finished moulting, circling and flying in all possible directions. They began to 

 leave the Khaingia on August 19, flying S. and S.W. ; the last and most numerous 

 skeins of migrating birds of this species I saw on September 13 on the Eyakita 

 (67 N. lat.). 



1 Middendorff s statement may partly refer to the yellow bill of M. arvensis, as I have already pointed out in the notice of that 

 species. 



2 Maak calls it A. segetum. 



