THE GREY LAG-GOOSE. 233 



Genus ANSER Briss. 



Anser Brisson, Orn. I, p. 58 (1760 — Type " Anser" =Anser anser, by 

 tautonymy, according to Brisson, Orn. vi, p. 261). 



Bill high at base, about same length as head, cutting edge of 

 upper mandible decidedly concave, serrations strong, tooth-like, 

 visible from outside. Nostrils longitudinal, about middle or little 

 behind middle of bill. Nail occupying entire tip of upper mandible. 

 Feathers of neck narrow, slightly elongated and somewhat convex, 

 so that neck appears furrowed. Wings long and pointed, 3rd 

 primary longest, 4th a little and 5th much shorter. Tail short, 

 rounded, 16-18 rectrices. About 13 species, Palsearctic and 

 Nearctic. 



Key to species of genus Anser. 



( Rump white or nearly white . . . . A. hyperboreus, p. 247 

 -. ^ Rump ashy-grey ....... A. anser, p. 233 



(^ Rump dark brown or dark greyish -brown . 2 

 9 ( Nail of bill whitish 3 



\ Nail of bill black 4 



o ( Larger, wing over 380 mm. A. albifrons, p. 237 



( Smaller, wing under 380 mm A. eryihropus, p. 240 



( Upper wing-coverts dark brown-grey, larger . A. fabalis, p. 242 



4 •< Upper wing-coverts paler, more bluish-grey, 



(. smaller A. brachyrhynchus, p. 245 



ANSER ANSER 



288. Anser anser (L.)— THE GREY LAG-GOOSE. 



Anas Anser Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i. p. 123 (1758 — Europe. Re- 

 stricted typical locality : Sweden). 

 Anser cinereus Meyer, Yarrell, iv, p. 253 ; Saunders, p. 397. 



Description (Plate 5). — Adult male and female. Winter. — Narrow 

 line of white round base of upper mandible, often ill -defined or 

 absent ; crown and centre of nape ash-brown ; feathers of mantle 

 and scapulars dark ash-brown (in some with grey bloom) with 

 brownish -white edges, narrower on scapulars, lower scapulars 

 black-brown ; back and rump ash-grey, feathers in some tipped 

 ash-brown ; sides of back, rump and upper tail-coverts white, in 

 some central upper tail-coverts suffused ash-grey ; small whitish 

 patch below eye ; rest of head, chin and throat light ash-brown ; 

 lower- throat bordering upper-breast paler and feathers with greyer 

 bases : sides of body and flanks as mantle, but feathers with 

 broader tips of brownish -white and mostly with grey bloom ; 

 thighs pale ash-brown ; breast and part of belly pale ash-grey or 

 ash-brown, feathers tipped white or greyish-white (sometimes some 

 feathers more or less mottled dark grey towards tip), lower-belly 

 and vent white, varying number of black or dark grey feathers 

 tipped black sparingly distributed on under -parts ; under tail- 

 coverts white ; axillaries and under wing-coverts palest ash-grey ; 

 tail-feathers dark ash-brown with grey bloom, edged and broadly 



