254 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



length of tail. Tail rounded, 16 feathers. Bill as in B. ruficollis : 

 teeth about 30. Weight 2J-5 lbs. (Popham). 



Soft parts. — Bill, legs and feet black ; iris brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Black crown and neck, creamy- 

 white fore-head, cheeks, chin and throat distinguish this species in 

 all plumages. 



Field -characters. — Brilliant appearance given to a flock (espe- 

 cially in bright sunshine) by contrast between glossy black necks > 

 legs and " waistcoats," white faces, under -parts, and boldly barred 

 blue and dark upper -parts, renders Barnacle recognizable at great 

 distance. Favourite feeding localities are wide stretches of "machar" 

 land of firm springy turf inside sandhills. A common trait in all 

 geese but more noticeably so in this species is a continual series of 

 friendly quarrels amongst a feeding flock. Less inclined to asso- 

 ciate with other geese than any other species, and never nearly so 

 unapproachable, it is the " fool " amongst Geese, and only one 

 which on occasion will fail to take alarm after having seen and 

 distrusted a moving object within 100 yards. Occasionally goes 

 to sea to rest on very calm days, but as a rule as much land-loving 

 as any " Grey " Goose. Note a series of rapidly repeated short 

 barks — some higher than others. Combined chorus produced by 

 big flock of any geese has been likened to " music " of pack of 

 hounds running. Taking that comparison, Barnacle's cry is repre- 

 sented by one end of scale, Grey Lag's by other ; Grey Lag's is full- 

 mouthed music of pack of foxhounds, Barnacle's that of host of 

 small terriers. Almost if not quite insensitive to scent of man, and 

 rarely if ever takes alarm from it. (William Percy.) 



Breeding-habits. — Only reliable accounts are those of Koenig 

 and Manniche. Breeds on terraces and ledges in large colony in 

 Greenland, and in scattered pairs on pinnacles and bastions of rock 

 in sides of valleys in Spitsbergen. Nest. — Little down mixed with 

 moss and lichens. Eggs. — 3 to 5, white when fresh, but often with 

 small spots of blood, dull and rather fine in texture. Average of 12 

 eggs, 77.7x49.6. Max. : 80.8x48.6 and 80.3x51.1. Min. : 70.6X 

 50 and 79.5x48 mm. Breeding -season. — Early to middle June. 

 Incubation. — By female alone ; period not known. Single-brooded. 



Food. — On breeding-ground grass, leaves and catkins of arctic 

 willow, and seeds and leaves of various plants (Oxyria digyna, etc.). 

 In winter grasses (Carex, Poa), trefoil, Ranunculus, etc. Alpheraky 

 says that at times they feed on marine mollusca. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Winter-visitor, mid-Sept., occa- 

 sionally earlier, — mid-Nov. to April -May. Most numerous 0. and 

 some I. Hebrides, and Solway, where, however, becoming scarcer. 

 Formerly common, now rare, parts of Wales and Cheshire, but 

 more numerous generally on west side Great Britain than east 

 where rare, as on south coast and inland. In northern Scotland 

 rare, but fairly regular visitor Orkneys and well-known passage- 



