THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
far south as the Atlantic coast of Morocco. It is also found in parts of 
the Mediterranean basin and in Lower Egypt, and very probably visits 
the Black Sea, though on the Caspian it is unknown. 
Distribution in the British Isles. — To the British Isles it is a numerous and 
regular, but late, winter-visitor all along the east coast of Great Britain 
from the Shetland and Orkney Islands southwards and along the south 
coast of England. In the Hebrides and on the western shores it is much 
less numerous and more irregular; but in Ireland it is very common, 
vast numbers frequenting many parts of the shores and estuaries. It is 
very rarely met with on inland waters unless wounded. 
Allied form. — In North-eastern North America and in Greenland a 
paler -breasted form of the Brent goose, known as Branta bernicla glaucogaster 
[cf. Alpheraky, “ Geese of Europe,” p. 158, pi. xvii (1905)] is met with 
and has been recorded from Kolguev, Novaya Zemlia and the Taimyr 
Peninsula. It very closely resembles the common Brent, and differs only 
in having the underparts paler and greyer. It has been met with at various 
times in the British Isles, occurring with flocks of the common dark- 
breasted Brent on the east coast, mostly to the north of the Humber. 
According to Mr Abel Chapman it seems to be more abundant on the 
Northumberland coast than the darker bird, and the same seems to be 
true about the south-east coast of Ireland. The distribution of this pale- 
breasted form is at present very imperfectly known, but it seems probable 
that it is merely a lighter coloured phase, which is the prevalent form in 
Arctic America and Greenland. Mr Trevor-Battye appears to have found 
it breeding in Kolguev along with the common Brent, and to have ex- 
amined intermediate forms between the light and the dark-breasted races. 
Those who have opportunities of shooting large numbers of Brent in the 
winter months would do well to look carefully for examples of the light - 
breasted forms and to forward them to the Natural History Museum, 
London, S.W., where, strange as it may seem, the series of Brent, of the 
dark form especially, is very poorly represented. 
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