THE GREY LAG-GOOSE. 235 



■as in adult, but with no black, though sometimes feathers of breast 

 and belly have dark ash-brown centres or streaks and mottlings ; 

 tail and wings as in adult. Feathers of sides of neck normal without 

 sharply pointed tips of adult, feathers of mantle, scapulars and 

 under-parts narrower and more rounded at tip than in adult, tail- 

 feathers, secondaries, greater and median coverts narrower than in 

 adult, tail-feathers more pointed and wing-coverts more rounded at 

 tip. 



First winter and summer. — Like adults, but usually no white 

 Jine at base of bill ; under-parts with no black or with only an odd 

 black feather, sometimes some feathers marked blackish-grey. 

 Distinguished from adults by unmoulted juvenile secondaries and 

 greater and median wing-coverts. The juvenile body-feathers, 

 some tail-feathers (in some no tail-feathers are moulted), some- 

 times some innermost secondaries and median coverts are moulted 

 from Sept. onwards. 



Second winter and summer. — Like adults, but with less black 

 on under-parts.* 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 447-482 mm., tail 129- 

 150, tarsus 73-82, bill from feathers 56-69 (10 measured). $ wing 

 416-468, bill from feathers 54-70. Primaries : 1st narrow, pointed 

 and about two-thirds longest primary-covert, 3rd longest, 4th equal 

 or 3-5 mm. shorter, 2nd 10-19 shorter, 5th 28-31 shorter, 6th 57- 

 65 shorter ; 2nd emarginated inner web, 3rd both webs, 4th outer 

 web. Innermost secondaries and scapulars broad and with square 

 tips, slightly rounded in innermost secondaries, longest of which is 

 shorter than 5th or 6th primary. Tail short, rounded, 18, excep- 

 tionally 20, broad feathers, rather rounded at tip. Feathers of neck 

 convex and projecting, with pointed tips, giving characteristic 

 " furrowed " appearance. Bill about length of head, higher than 

 broad at base, upper mandible with ridge broad and flat at base, 

 narrowed towards end, culmen sloping gradually to circular, convex 

 nail ; tomia distinctly arched with indentations of upper mandible 

 quite apparent, commissure gaping widely, teeth 21-23. Weight 

 5 lbs. 12 oz. to 12 lbs. (Alpheraky), exceptionally 16| lbs. (Naumann). 



Soft parts. — Bill (ad.) flesh-coloured to orange-yellow, nail 

 whitish-grey ; (juv.) very light flesh-colour or even yellowish-green 

 with some pink tinge ; legs and feet flesh-colour, claws black ; iris 

 brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Large size, stout flesh-coloured to 

 yellow bill with white nail, ash-grey back and rump, pearl-grey 

 bastard-wing, outer median coverts and lesser coverts distinguish 

 species. 



Field -characters. — The four British " Grey " Geese so closely 

 resemble each other, that they can never be specifically distinguished 



* As shown by specimens in the collection of Mr. E. Lehn SchiOler, who 

 is able to state by examination of their sexual organs that they do not breed 

 in their first year. — A.C.J. 



