248 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



ash-brown ; secondaries and greater coverts white more or less 

 mottled or clouded ash-brown, innermost secondaries and their 

 coverts light or dark ash-brown broadly edged white ; median 

 coverts pale ash-brown more or less freckled and tipped white ; 

 lesser wing-coverts and median and lesser primary-coverts greyish- 

 white more or less mottled ash-brown. Feathers of upper and under- 

 pays, tail-feathers, also greater and median coverts narrower than 

 in adult and tips of feathers of mantle rounded not square as in 

 adult. 



First winter and summer. — As adult but distinguished by 

 juvenile wing. Most of the juvenile body-feathers, tail-feathers(?) 

 but not wings in specimen examined are moulted.* 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 425^41 mm., tail 117— 

 136, tarsus 75-82, bill from feathers 53-60 (6 measured). $ wing 

 420-430, bill 50-58 (5 measured). Primaries : 1st more than half 

 longest primary-covert, 3rd longest, 2nd (below 4th) 6-18 mm., 

 shorter, 4th 4-9 shorter, 5th 30-38 shorter, 6th 63-71 shorter. 

 Innermost secondaries with slightly rounded tips, longest above 

 7th primary. Tail slightly rounded, 16, rarely 18, feathers. Bill 

 considerably higher than broad at base, short, strong and robust, 

 altogether deeper throughout its length than in A. anser : culmen 

 sloping sharply to nail, tomia curved, commissure widely gaping, 

 indentations of upper mandible quite apparent ; teeth 20-28. 

 Loral and frontal feathering as in A. a. albifrons. 



Soft parts. — Bill (ad.) lilac-red or dark red with whitish or 

 yellowish nail, under mandible lighter, black stripes above edge 

 of upper and on under edge of lower mandible from gape to tip ; 

 (juv.) dark grey or brownish often with greenish tint, black stripes 

 along mandible as in adult ; legs and feet (ad.) lilac or orange-red 

 with black claws ; legs and feet (juv.) dark grey or brownish often 

 tinged greenish ; iris dark brown (fide Alpheraky). 



Characters and allied forms. — A. h. nivalis is larger. Pure 

 white body-plumage of adults and light ash-brown broadly margined 

 white upper-parts of juvenile distinguish this from other British 



Geese. 



Breeding-habits. — Breeds on barren grounds in hollow in earth. 

 Nest. — Thick bed of down mixed with bits of grass, moss, etc. 

 Eggs. — Usually 5, white, with smooth shell. Average of 23 eggs, 

 77.8x53.3. Max.: 83.4x55.2. Min. : 71.1 x 55 and 79.6x50.4 

 mm. Breeding-season. — Chiefly during second half June. Incuba- 

 tion. — No details, but probably by female alone, and also single- 

 brooded. 



Food. — In summer green rushes, insects, etc., according to Saunders; 

 probably young eat insects and mollusca. In autumn and winter 



* One (17.6.10 Greenland, Schioler coll.) has one new central tail- 

 feather and has acquired some new white innermost secondaries ; some 

 ash-brown juvenile body -feathers are retained on mantle. 



