64 THE GREY LAG-GOOSE. 
India is zo¢ the one figured, but that which is less barred below 
and has the pinky or reddish bill. 
The plumage of our birds varies a good deal. In some, 
which I take to be the young, the lower breast and the whole 
abdomen to vent are pure white; in many they are strongly 
tinged with sandy or orange; in others very thickly and con- 
spicuously mottled with brownish black. The head and neck 
vary from pale ashy or earthy brown to dark clove brown ; 
in most there is a mingled white and orange patch on the 
forehead. In some there isa similar spot at the base of the 
upper mandible on each side, just above the gape. Often 
in birds killed just before they leave us in March or April, 
most of the feathers of the head and cheeks are obscurely tip- 
ped with orange, and traces of this are seen on the whole neck. 
I note that most of our birds have a tiny patch of white on 
the centre of the chin. 
In some specimens the breast and abdomen are so closely 
blotched and mottled with black or blackish-brown, and pale 
rusty buff, (the former predominating,) as to leave no other colour 
visible. The black markings will sometimes continue to within 
an inch of the vent, the pale rust colour to 2% inches beyond 
this. Insome specimens the gathering of the feathers of the 
upper neck into parallel longitudinal ridges is most marked ; in 
others it is quite wanting. In some the cap and back of the up- 
per neck are conspicuously darker ; in some they are absolutely 
uniform in colour with the rest of the neck. Generally the 
whole tone of the plumage varies much more than it usually does 
in wild birds, or than it does in any other Goose with which I 
am acquainted ; and though the brownest is never so brown as 
either segetum, brachyrhynchus, albifrons or minutus, and the 
gereyest never so grey as zzdzcus, still some are very much darker 
and browner, and some very much paler and greyer than others, 
AS SOME difficulty is experienced by sportsmen in discri- 
minating the different species of Geese, I subjoin a short table 
which may be useful, although I should hope that our plates 
will, as a rule, prove sufficient :— 
Ae pat at front 
Colour of Colour of rest of | Colour of legs : rom margin 
Name. nail of Bill. ill. and feet. Wing. obifeathers 
to tip of nail. 
The Grey | White or | Varies from crea- |Varies as does|15'75 to 19'°0 2:4 to 28 
Lag. whitish. | my whitethrough| that of the 
(A. cinereus.) fleshy pink to] bill. 
dingy livid pur- 
plish red. 
