THE BARRED-HEADED GOOSE. 89 
rusty ; there is a dusky line through the lores to the eyes; the 
whole crown, occiput, and nape is a sooty or dusky black ; 
below this the back of the neck is wood brown, and the sides 
and front of the lower part of the neck a pale dusky greyish, 
mottled with whitish, this being the colour of the tips of the 
feathers ; most of the feathers of the breast and abdomen and 
lower parts generally have a pale, rusty or fulvous tinge towards 
the tips ; the conspicuous dark banding of the flanks is almost 
entirely wanting, only one dark greyish brown feather on each 
side having as yet made its appearance. 
There is no trace of either the two distinct black head-bars or 
of the conspicuous white neck streak, so that the head and neck 
look strangely unlike those of the adult. 
The tail is rather browner than in the old bird. The rest of 
the plumage is very similar to that of the adult, but perhaps 
everywhere less pure in colour. 
BESIDES THE six species of Geese above enumerated, it is very 
probable that other species of true Geese occur within our 
limits. 
First there is Anser (Bernicla) ruficollis, of which I subjoin* a 
description, and of which Mr, Blyth remarked :—“ This is probably 
the species of which four were seen near Nagpur, one of which 
was procured—(Bengal Sporting Magazine for April 1836, 
Pp: 247. ) 
Then there is the large Azser cyguotdes, very like the tame 
Goose of Lower Bengal, (but wanting the tubercle on the bill)— 
with a black bill, and orange fleshy legs and feet ; top and back 
of the head and neck very deep brown, and the whole upper 
plumage darkish brown, the feathers narrowly margined with 
white, and the upper tail-coverts pure white—which I have had 
reason to suspect occurs in Assam. But it seemed useless to 
* Anser (Bernicla) rujicollis. 
‘Adult Male in breeding-dress.—Entire crown of head, extending from the forehead 
far on the back of the neck, black ; entire throat, fore-part of cheeks and a band 
encircling the eye, and joining the crown, also black ; a large loral patch, a spot 
under the eye, and a broad stripe extending backwards from the hinder part of the 
eye, onto the sides of the neck, and another stripe extending downwards on to the 
neck, and then proceeding backwards and joining the sides of the neck, pure white ; 
a very large auricular patch deep chestnut, entirely surrounded by the before-men- 
tioned white line; on the throat the black narrows in the centre of the lower 
portion ; the whole of the fore-part of the chest, and sides of the neck extending 
far backwards and forming an interrupted collar, deep brick-red ; a narrow white 
band encircling the whole of the fore-part of the body margined on both sides with 
black ; rest of the body glossy black with slight greenish reflections, excepting the 
edges of the wing-coverts which are greyish white, and the rump, abdomen, and 
sides of the body which are pure white ; the flanks are banded slightly with black ; 
under tail-coverts white ; under wing-coverts black ; bill and feet black ; iris dark 
brown. Total length 20 inches; culmen, 1'o ; wing, 14°5 ; tail, 60; tarsus, 2°1. 
““Female.—In general similar to the male, but the colours very much duller.” 
(Dresser’s Birds of Europe.) 
M 
