164 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



ON THE VARIATION OF THE BEAN-GOOSE 

 (ANSER FABALIS). 



By Einar Lonnberg, C.M.Z.S., &c. 



In 'The Zoologist' (ante, p. 41), Mr. Frohawk has pub- 

 lished an article on " British Bean-Geese," in which he endea- 

 vours to establish as a fact that there are two kinds of Bean- 

 Geese entitled to specific rank. As I had some doubt about 

 the validity of these so-called " species," I made up my mind 

 to compare some Bean-Geese with the diagnoses which Mr. 

 Frohawk has supplied in his communication to this Journal. 

 Unfortunately we have had unfavourable weather for Goose- 

 hunting this spring. Thanks to the kind assistance of several 

 gentlemen, I have, however, had the pleasure of receiving for 

 comparison eight freshly killed Bean- Geese, all shot in the 

 vicinity of Upsala. In addition to these I have had at my dis- 

 position four preserved specimens* belonging to the Zoological 

 Museum of the University of Upsala, near which town they had 

 been killed. It is therefore with a dozen specimens that I pro- 

 pose making a comparison with Mr. Frohawk's diagnoses. It 

 would, of course, have been desirable to have had a still larger 

 series of fresh specimens, but it seems that this material is 

 sufficient for a quite interesting and instructive comparison. 



Mr. Frohawk characterizes his two "species" approximately 

 in the following manner: — " Anser segetum." — Bill: average 

 length of culmen about 2j in., that is, approximately 59 mm. ; 

 nail large and elliptical, included in the total length of cul- 

 men three and a half times ; colour black, typically with only 

 an orange band between the nail and the nostrils ; but in 

 this respect some variation is admitted, so that the orange 

 sometimes extends below the nostril. Culmen considerably 



* In addition to these I have studied some more preserved specimens, 

 but, as they agreed with the others, I did not think it necessary to con- 

 sider them here. 



