246 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



tinguished from juvenile A. f. fabalis by smaller size, lighter back, 

 rump and wing-coverts. 



First winter and summer. — As adult and apparently only to be 

 distinguished by narrower and more worn juvenile greater and 

 median coverts. Moult apparently as in A. f. fabalis. 



Measurements and structure. — £ wing 435-458 mm., tail 121- 

 152, tarsus 69-77, bill from feathers 44-50 (9 measured). $ wing 

 405-453, bill 40-45 (12 measured). Primaries : 1st narrow, pointed 

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

 3-12 mm. shorter, 5th 28-40 shorter, 6th 60-74 shorter. Tail with 

 16 to 18 feathers. Bill shorter than head, comparatively broad and 

 deep at base, tomia slightly curved ; teeth 20-23. Weight from 6J— 

 7 J English lbs. (Alpheraky). Other structure as in A. f. fabalis. 



Soft parts. — Bill (ad.) variable, base of upper mandible, ridge 

 of culmen above nostrils and nail black, with flesh-pink to rose- 

 pink band round both mandibles behind nail and extending back- 

 ward on upper mandible under nares and along tomium, sometimes 

 reaching gape and sometimes confined to very narrow streak along 

 tomium ; bill (juv.) almost black with very little rose-red on apical 

 part ; legs and feet (ad.) flesh-pink to bright pink, (juv.) " apparently 

 dull greyish-red " (Alpheraky) ; iris dark brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Small size, short bill with black nail 

 distinguish it from British " Grey " Geese other than A. f. fabalis. 



Field-characters. — Smaller than Grey Lag, slightly paler in 

 colour, and without the striking pale blue fore-wing. Roughly of 

 similar size to Bean-Goose and totally unidentifiable therefrom 

 unless near enough to distinguish one main specific character — its 

 tiny and delicately shaped beak, resembling rather that of Brent 

 than any " Grey " Goose. Colour-pattern of beak similar to that 

 of Bean-Goose (save that central band is pink instead of orange). 

 Legs also pink. (A. Chapman.) 



Breeding-habits. — In Spitsbergen nests on small islands occa- 

 sionally, but generally on ledges or terraces in face of cliffs to secure 

 protection against arctic fox. Nest. — Hollow in earth, used year 

 after year, with thick lining of moss, lichens, and arctic plants 

 mixed with earth and plentiful supply of down. Eggs. — Usually 4, 

 but also 3 to 5, while 6, 7 and 9 (by 2 females) are on record. Dull 

 whitish. Average of 292 eggs, 78.2x52.3. Max. : 88x52.6 and 

 82.6x56.7. Min. : 69x51 and 77x47.4 mm. Breeding -season.— 

 Usually about mid-June, but some lay early in month. Incubation. 

 — By female alone ; period (noted in confinement) 26-28 days. 

 Single-brooded. 



Food. — Frequents barley stubbles, but according to Cordeaux, less 

 for scattered grain than for white clover and trefoil. Grass also 

 eaten freely and in breeding-haunts arctic plants, Cerastium, Saxi- 

 fraga, Equisetum, etc. Young feed on leaves and buds of Salix 

 (Le Roi) ; in confinement, grass. 



