THE BARRED-HEADED GOOSE. 83 
The latter remarks :—“ As far as we can judge from our 
observations, the northern limit of the distribution of this bird 
is formed by the Kokonor basin and the river Tetunga; and 
the same localities are probably also the eastern boundary, as 
this species does not occur in China proper.” 
Of course Lake Baikal is a thousand miles north of the 
Kokonor, but what Prjevalski’s researches seem to show, is, that 
from the Kokonor it neither goes eastwards into China nor 
north-eastwards into Mongolia. 
Broadly speaking, we may define the distribution of this 
species as India and Independent Burma in the winter, and 
Central Asia, due north of these up to about the 55° North 
Latitude in summer, 
I CANNOT remember ever seeing the Barred-headed Goose in 
the Doab before the 15th of October* and in the North-West 
Provinces the majority do not arrive until quite the close of 
that month. In the North-West Punjab they appear a little 
earlier I believe, and further south they are later. 
In the Doab, the great majority leave by the end of March, 
but I have shot them in Etawah as late asthe roth of April, and 
near Jhelum on the 20th of that month. Further south they 
leave a good deal earlier. 
Their movements are, I apprehend, a great deal governed by 
the harvest; as soon as all the crops are cut and carried, and 
the stubbles have been pretty well gleaned, they disappear. 
Taking Upper India as a whole, this species enormously 
outnumbers all the other species of Geese put together. I 
think that at least five of the Barred-heads visit India to every 
one of the Grey Lags, and as for all the rest of the Geese they 
are apparently so rare that when one comes to consider numbers, 
they are not worth speaking about. 
* According to Tickell they reach Bengal too about thistime. I rather doubt their 
getting to Diamond Harbour, where he says he saw so many, as early as this, but 
his remarks are interesting and I reproduce them. He says :—‘‘ They are first noticed 
- in Bengal about the middle of October, flying like the Crane in single diagonal (or 
echelon) lines, or in two lines, forming an acute angle. At such times their mingled 
voices sound like ill-blown clarionets, each emitting a single note. As they wend 
along in the air the leading bird is seen every four or five minutes to drop to the 
rear, its place being immediately filled by the next one, who is in turn relieved by 
the next, and so on. This movement is to be seen amongst Cranes, Pelicans, 
Spoonbills, Swans, and other birds which perform long migratory voyages; from 
which it would seem that the leading bird meets with greater resistance from the air 
lap do the succeeding files, and thus requires to be relieved after a certain time from 
is post. 
** When about to settle, the line breaks up, and the birds mingling together sweep 
round in circles, approaching nearer and nearer to the earth, till, with a great flap- 
ping of wings, they settle. When on the ground they preserve something like order, 
keeping one or more sentries on the look-out while the rest are grazing. The flight 
of this bird is like that of some of the larger Ducks, with a stiffly outstretched neck ; 
but its larger flapping wings, moved with slower strokes, serve readily to distinguish 
it at any distance. During the day they repose near the water’s edge, on sand-flats ; 
and in such open situations it is vain to attempt approaching them, unless in a native 
dinghee, which must be so managed as to appear to be passing heedlessly,” 
