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A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



tipped white, some with inner webs more or less white, outer 

 feathers mostly white ; primaries brown-black with white shafts, 

 inner webs paler towards base, outer primaries with grey bloom on 

 basal two-thirds ; secondaries black-brown, outer webs and tips 

 very narrowly bordered white ; all primary-coverts, bastard-wing, 

 some outer median coverts and lesser coverts pearl-grey ; outer 

 greater coverts ash-grey tipped white, inner ones sepia (some with 

 grey bloom), and narrowly edged and tipped white ; rest of median 

 coverts as mantle. This plumage is acquired by complete moult 

 July to Jan., moult of remiges taking place July (all remiges are 

 shed together) and body and tail (except for a few body -feathers) 

 not commencing in earnest until remiges are nearly grown. Summer. 



The Grey Lag-Goose. (Anser anser). Tips of greater wing-coverts of 

 A. Juvenile. B. Adult. 



■ — Coloration as winter and no moult apparent, but light edges to 

 feathers of upper-parts become more or less worn off. N.B. — Some 

 males (old birds ?) have more black on under-parts than females, 

 but a younger male often has less black than an older female. 



Nestling. — Down on crown, centre of nape, upper -parts, sides of 

 body and sides of thighs olive-brown, long filaments in some tinged 

 greenish-yellow, bar across wing greenish-yellow or yellowish-white ; 

 fore-head, sides of face, sides of neck and under-parts greenish-yellow 

 (in some area round eye more or less suffused olive-brown, in some 

 sides of face canary-yellow and under-parts yellowish-white). 



Juvenile. — Like adult, but no white line at base of bill, in some 

 chin white ; mantle and scapulars with browner edges than in 

 adult ; sides of body and flanks pale ash-brown, feathers shading 

 to light brown at tips, which are buffish-white ; rest of under-parts 



