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ON THE SPECIFIC VALIDITY OF ANSER GAMBELI 



(Hartlaub), AND ITS POSITION AS A BRITISH 



BIRD. 



By F. Coburn. 



Fully realising the great importance which attaches to the 

 introduction of a new species of bird to the lists not only of 

 Great Britain, but Europe as well, I have not committed myself 

 to the following observations and conclusions without mature 

 study, and shall treat the subject with a minuteness of detail 

 befitting its character. 



At the meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club in October, 

 1901, when I exhibited a series of my Icelandic birds, I also sub- 

 mitted my specimen of Anser erythropus {ante, 190J, page 317), 

 and an almost completely black-breasted example of what I then 

 thought was A. albifrons. 



In my collection I have another specimen of this stage, which 

 I secured from Co. Mayo many years back, and which has the 

 whole under parts much blacker even than the former one, being 

 a glossy jet-black, practically without any admixture of drab. 



Both birds had been a puzzle since they came into my 

 possession, and this largely influenced me in taking my specimen 

 to London with A. erythropus, as I expected to find similar 

 birds at South Kensington, and thus receive enlightenment. 

 I was, however, much surprised to hear from the courteous 

 authorities at the Museum that they had never before seen a 

 specimen like mine ! and that A. albifrons was not known to 

 assume entirely black under parts. It was vaguely suggested 

 that my specimen might be A. gambeli ! 



Subsequently, at the request of Mr. J. H. Gurney, I sent 

 A. erythropus and this black-breasted bird for his inspection, 

 also to be exhibited before the Norwich Naturalists' Society. 

 Mr. Gurney expressed to me his opinion that this black-breasted 

 bird might be A. gambeli, and has since published this view in 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. VI., September, 1902. 2 D 



