270 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



about six to one in their favour. The difference in colour is not due 

 to sex, as I have shot male and female of both varieties ; neither is it 

 due to age, as I have shot old and young birds of the light-coloured 

 variety, and also of the dark-coloured. The White-fronted and Bean 

 Geese vary as much, or even more, in colour than the Pink-footed 

 species. 



The White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons). — I will describe three 

 birds in my collection, all of which I obtained in the Hebrides during the 

 past winter. They all have the white line under the eye, although in 

 No. 3 it is dusky white. 



No. 1. — White on forehead and face typical; breast white, and 

 covered with brown spots ; weight, 5 lb. &| oz. 



No. 2. — White on forehead very much extended, reaching to the 

 top of the head ; white on face typical ; breast slightly barred, but not 

 nearly so much as on some specimens I have seen. Smaller in body 

 than No. 1, but almost the same weight, 5 lb. 8 oz. 



No. 3. — No white on side of face or forehead at all, only a very few 

 white specks round the base of the bill. Breast dusky white, with no 

 spots or bars. Weight, 4 lb. 4 oz. The head of this bird was enormous 

 and very triangular, the neck very long, and it was much larger 

 in body than either of the others, although it weighed less, but still it 

 had the typical bill with the white nail of the species,* and the orange- 

 yellow legs and feet. Some White-fronted Geese I have seen have 

 been so heavily marked on the breast with black bars that they appear 

 to have jet-black breasts. Unfortunately I have not one of these 

 specimens set up. I take them to be fully adult birds. Messrs. Coburn 

 and Gurney seem to recognize three British species of this Goose, viz. 

 A. albifrons, A. erythropus, and A. gambeli. As with the other species 

 of Grey Geese, I think the variations in plumage are due to age. In 

 my three specimens mentioned above, I call No. 1 a three-year-old, 

 No. 2 a four-year-old, and No. 3 a bird of the year. I do not think 

 they have the heavily barred breasts until six or seven years old, or 

 even older. I suppose that Messrs. Gurney and Coburn would call 

 No. 1 albifrons ; No 2 erythrojnis, on account of its small size and the 

 large amount of white on the forehead ; and No. 3 gambeli, on account 

 of its larger size, heavy head, and long neck, although the colour of 

 the breast does not agree with their description of this so-called 

 species. 



The Bean-Goose (Anser segetum), — The Bean-Goose seems to be 



* The bill was not quite typical in No. 3. The nail was white at the 

 base and black at the tip ; half-white and half-black. 



