THE GRAY LAG GOOSE, 
29 
fronted geese, was bought for the collection. Happening to be 
there myself on the 20th of November and 5th of December, 
others were brought, which I purchased. My two birds were said 
to have been killed in ..Westmeath, and the other in the west of 
King’s County. The three specimens exhibited black transverse 
markings from the breast to the vent; an appearance caused by 
single blackish feathers appearing irregularly, and exhibiting their 
dark tips among the others. One only of them has the nail on 
the bill all white ; a second has the upper third, and the other the 
lower third, of that hue ; the remainder, in both birds, being 
pale reddish horn- colour. In the plumage at the middle of each 
side and at the top of the upper mandible in one bird, a speck of 
white appears, and is faintly indicated in the other two specimens. 
The stomach of the last obtained was filled, according to the 
preserver, with tender grass or blades of young wheat. We ate 
this bird and found it good in quality ; the flesh was very dark- 
coloured. A few more of these geese were brought on sale to 
Dublin about the middle of February, 1850. * 
Mr. G. Jackson (game-keeper) has met with the grey lag 
goose — which he distinguishes accurately from the bean and 
white-fronted — in various parts of Connaught. He remarks, 
“ They never mingle with the others, nor do I recollect ever 
seeing more than seven or eight in a flock, and oftener three or 
four. They frequent the upland pastures and cultivated lands 
more than the other species. They were rather scarce, but a few, 
at least, were to be found every winter. From their being larger 
and considered a better goose, there was more attention paid to 
them by the fowlers. I have shot many of them. In the winter 
of 1834 I killed a grey lag goose with a piece of linen cloth 
sewed round one leg ; it did not appear to be the manufacture of 
this country.” 
The grey lag goose is unknown to my correspondents in the 
south, and has never come under the notice of ornithologists in 
the north of Ireland. The central parts of the island as to latitude 
would therefore seem to be those visited by it. 
* Mr. R. Ball. 
