THE RED-BREASTED GOOSE. 251 



with greenish gloss, inner webs black-brown or sepia (in some 

 primary-coverts more or less greyish-white at tip) ; rest of wing- 

 coverts black with greenish gloss, greater coverts and lower row of 

 median broadly tipped white. This plumage is acquired by a com- 

 plete moult in autumn ; (one flightless specimen examined, Aug. 

 12th Yenesei, withremiges all in quill). Summer. — No spring material 

 examined. Coloration as in winter. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — As adult, but black of upper -parts and head browner, 

 white band round upper-mantle and breast less clearly defined, 

 feathers margined black-brown and not bordered above by a black 

 band as in adult ; russet patch on neck smaller and paler, feathers 

 tipped black-brown or whitish ; rest of upper-mantle and upper- 

 breast pink-cinnamon rather than russet, some feathers mottled 

 dusky-brown towards tip ; sides of belly and flanks white tipped 

 black-brown ; lower-breast brown-black, feathers with imperfectly 

 concealed white bases ; tail and wing as in adult but brown-black, 

 tail-feathers usually more broadly tipped white ; greater and lower 

 median coverts with brownish-white tips, rest of median coverts 

 narrowly tipped brownish. Feathers of mantle, scapulars and 

 under -parts smaller and narrower, tail-feathers, secondaries, greater 

 and median coverts narrower. 



First winter and summer. — Apparently as adult but many 

 juvenile feathers are retained on upper- and under-parts ; wing as 

 in juvenile. Some juvenile body-feathers, not all feathers of upper- 

 parts, not breast, belly, vent or under tail-coverts, not tail or wings 

 are moulted from autumn onwards. (Very little material examined. ) 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 345-361 mm., tail 99- 

 109, tarsus 52-58, bill from feathers 24-26 (5 measured). $ wing 

 343-357, bill 23-25. Primaries : 1st narrow, pointed and little 

 more than half longest primary-covert, 3rd longest, 2nd 3-9 mm. 

 shorter, 4th 9-14 shorter, 5th 30-40 shorter, 6th 55-68 shorter ; 

 2nd emarginated inner web, 3rd both webs, 4th outer web. Inner- 

 most secondaries with rounded tips, longest above 7th primary. 

 Upper tail-coverts extend two-thirds length of tail, under tail- 

 coverts nearly to tip. Tail almost square, slightly rounded, 16 

 feathers. Feathers of neck normal not " furrowed." Bill much 

 shorter than head, higher than broad at base, somewhat conical, 

 depressed terminally, dorsal line straight and sloping to nail ; nail 

 round and convex ; intercrural space feathered almost to nail ; 

 tomia almost straight ; teeth 16, not visible externally when bill 

 shut. Loral feathering extends further forward on bill than frontal 

 feathering. 



Soft parts. — Bill, legs and feet black ; iris dark chestnut or 

 hazel. 



Characters. — No subspecies. White patch on lores and russet 

 upper-breast (paler in juvenile) distinguish this species in all 

 plumages. 



