236 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



when merely seen flying high overhead. All are strictly inland- 

 feeders, only resorting to coast for purposes of refuge or resting. 

 Grey Lag is largest and readily recognizable (say with telescope up 

 to 500 yards or more) by very pale colour of whole fore-wing — that 

 is, shoulder, wing-coverts and big bastard-wing are all of a clear 

 pale blue which shows up in striking contrast with darker colours 

 that adjoin, especially as seen in flight, when passing low ; or on 

 ground when stretching a wing, when also pale ashy rump shows 

 up. Bill larger and paler than in Pink-footed and with no black as 

 in Bean-Goose. Note sonorous, nasal, " Gagga-gagga, gagga-gagga 

 . . ." oft repeated. (A. Chapman.) 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts moorland, islands in lochs, and " flows" 

 for breeding purposes. Nest. — Built in long heather, marsh grasses 

 and Sphagnum, often in very wet places, of bits of heather twigs, 

 mosses, grass, etc., with good deal of down and small feathers. On 

 the Continent I have seen nests in water, chiefly built of dead reeds. 

 Eggs. — Usually 4 to 6, occasionally 3 only or 7, while clutches of 

 8, 10 and 12 are probably due to two hens. Creamy- white, but often 

 stained with yellowish or pale brown. Average of 111 eggs 87.1 X 

 58.5. Max.: 100x61. Min. : 78.5x56.3 and 80x54.8 mm. 

 Breeding -season. — Usually last fortnight of April in Scotland. 

 Incubation. — By female alone. Period 28 days. Single-brooded. 



Food. — Grass largely eaten in spring : in autumn grain (wheat, 

 rye, and even maize), also peas, beans, lentils, etc. Green rye also 

 favourite food. Zostera marina, cloud-berries, and acorns also 

 recorded. 



Distribution. — England, Wales and Ireland. — Winter -visitor, end 

 Sept.-mid-Xov. to March- April. Rare along east coast England, 

 and very irregular in south and west. Used to breed (Yorks., 

 Cambridge up to 1773, Lines, to early 1800). In Ireland rare in 

 most counties, but visits parts of Wexford, Wicklow, Meath, Louth, 

 Mayo, and lower Shannon. Probably formerly bred Bog of Allen 

 and co. Down. Scotland. — Resident. Breeds Ross, Sutherland, 

 Caithness, some I. Hebrides, and more plentifully O. Hebrides. On 

 mainland does not breed south of Loch Maree in truly wild state. In 

 winter more general, but apparently irregular on east side. Has 

 increased of recent years in Sol way. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds in Iceland, Europe, north-east 

 of a line drawn from Friesland to the Lower Danube, and in Asia 

 as far east as east Siberia and Kamtschatka (probably only excep- 

 tionally in south Spain and Lake Fetzara in north Algeria), migra- 

 ting south in winter as far as Mediterranean and north Africa, China 

 and N.W. India. Casual Madeira, Azores. 



[Note. — A specimen of Anser rubrirostris Swinhoe is said to have been 

 obtained in co. Limerick, Nov. 23, 1901 (F. Coburn, Bull. B.O.C., xn, p. 80), 

 but according to Alpheraky, Hartert and others, this supposed eastern race- 

 cannot be distinguished !] 



