ANSEB GAMBELI AS A BRITISH BIRD. 



349 



A. gambeli. 



Stages. Length. Weight. Wing. Bill. Tarsus. Neck. 



1 

 2 

 3 

 4 

 5 

 6 

 7 

 8 

 9 

 10 

 11 



IN. 



29£ 51b. 



28| 541b. 

 284 5|lb. 



15| 



16 

 16* 



IN. 



1-98 

 2-13 

 2-13 

 2-1 



IN. 



2-75 

 2-65 

 2-93 

 2-95 



8| 



28 51b. 2 oz. 16£ 2-17 2-91 



29 51b. 18 2-24 3-0 

 274 4Jlb. (thin)16i 2-1 2-75 

 _ _ 174 2-1 2-85 

 26 51b. 2 oz. 1S| 1-95 2-62 

 — — 15| 2-12 2-65 



A. albifrons. 



Length. Weight. Wing. Bill. Tarsus. Neck. 

 IN. IN. IN. IN. IN. 



— — 15 1-85 2-45 — 



26 4J lb. 15 1-80 2-52 74 



27J 5|lb. 16£ 1-85 2-60 74 

 274 5f lb - 16 1-80 2-60 — 

 27 541b. 164 1*80 2-65 — 



It will be seen from this that A. gambeli, taken all round, is 

 a larger bird, with a proportionately much longer neck, than 

 A. albifrons. Add to this a yellowish umber eyelid against dark 

 drab, and reddish orange legs and bill against orange yellow 

 legs and pale livid yellow bill. 



I will here again refer to Mr. J. H. Gurney's paper above 

 cited, and say how thoroughly I agree with him in his con- 

 tention that all three White-fronted Geese should be treated 

 as distinct species. I have already said sufficient with regard 

 to the two larger ones ; but now place my A. erythropus amongst 

 the whole of the specimens, and it stands out instantly and 

 conspicuously as distinct from all. 



Mr. Gurney refers to A. erythropus having been described as 

 being no larger than an Eider Duck, or even a Mallard. This 

 is quite right so far as length and weight goes, for I have had 

 Eider Ducks 5f lb. weight and length 28 in., measured to the 

 toes, and Mallards 4 lb. with length exceeding 22 in., but the 

 comparison goes no farther than this. This Eider of 5f lb. and 

 28 in. long exceeds the length and weight of the largest specimen 

 of A. gambeli, but it does not look as large as A. erythropus of 

 4|- lb. The fact appears to be overlooked that the feathers 

 clothing the body of an adult Wild Goose are very much larger 

 than those on the body of an Eider Duck, which makes the 

 former look conspicuously larger than the latter. Those writers 

 who describe the lesser White-fronted Goose as being about the 

 size of a Brent Goose make a far more commonsense compari- 

 son. My specimen of A. erythropus, which weighed 4|- lb., was 

 a very plump, indeed quite fat, bird ; in the normal condition of 

 flesh in the breeding season I can quite understand that it would 



