THE LESSER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. 241 



First winter and summer. — As adult but with black on breast 

 and belly confined to a feather or two, one March specimen (no 

 sex) has white band on fore-head as extensive as in adult, feathers 

 on intercrural space white, one $ Yenisei, June, has white on fore- 

 head and at base of bill less developed and no white on intercrural 

 space. Most juvenile body-feathers, some tail-feathers, some inner- 

 most secondaries and median coverts are moulted in winter and 

 spring (only two specimens examined). 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 367-388 mm., tail 95- 

 109, tarsus 58-62, bill from feathers 28-35 (9 measured). $ wing 

 352-381, bill 32-35 (4 measured). Primaries : 1st narrow, pointed 

 and about half longest primary-covert, 3rd longest, 2nd and 4th 

 5-10 mm. shorter, 5th 28-35 shorter, 6th 56-67 shorter. Folded 

 wings usually overlap tips of tail-feathers, while in A. a. albifrons 

 they seldom do so. Tail-feathers 16. Bill considerably shorter and 

 comparatively thicker at base than in A. a. albifrons, tomia of 

 upper mandible very slightly curved and completely covering teeth 

 when bill is shut ; teeth 20-22. Other structure as in A. a. 

 albifrons. 



Soft parts. — Bill (ad.) light rose-red to rosy flesh-colour, some- 

 times orange-red, nail white, (juv.) dingy pink-grey; legs and feet 

 (ad.) orange-yellow with paler webs, (juv.) pale dingy-yellow ; 

 iris dark chestnut ; eyelids orange-yellow or lemon-yellow and 

 perceptibly swollen. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Distinguished from A. a. albifrons 

 by much smaller size, and in adults by white on fore-head extend- 

 ing further back on to crown. 



Breeding-habits. — Very little definitely recorded. Breeds in 

 more wooded country than Grey Lag and White-fronted Geese. 

 Nest. — On elevations in marshes, sometimes sheltered by rank grass, 

 near rivers ; a heap of grasses, moss, etc., with down and feathers. 

 Eggs. — 4 or 5 to 6, more yellow than white, and smooth-shelled. 

 Average of 72 eggs, 76.4x48.8. Max.: 84.5x50.5 and 76x52. 

 Min. : 69x43 mm. Breeding-season. — Early June in Lapland. 

 Incubation. — Probably by female alone ; period not definitely 

 recorded. Single-brooded. 



Food. — Probably similar to allied species, but little recorded ; 

 vegetable matter, chiefly grasses and grain. 



Distribution. — England. — Very rare vagrant. Young male Fen- 

 ham Flats (Northumberland) Sept. 16, 1886 (A. Chapman, Field, 

 Dec. 11, 1886, p. 87 ; Saunders, p. 400). [Adult female, Wash (Nor- 

 folk), Jan. 24, 1900 (F. Coburn, Zool., 1901, p. 317 ; J. H. Gurney, 

 Ibis, 1902, pp. 269-75), one said to have been taken near York 

 (Birds Yorks., p. 413) and one in Humber District about 1874 

 (J. Cordeaux, List Birds Humber District, p. 22), and some possibly 

 on Solway, Jan., 1894 (H. S. Gladstone, Birds Dumfries, p. 243), 

 but the histories of these specimens are not above reproach.] 



VOL. II. R 



