THE TRUE GEESE. 
227 
been observed in variou.s parts of Northern Europe. A large 
eastern form, Chen nivalis (Forst. , Salvad. Cat. B. xxvii. p. 
86), is found in the United States on migration, and reaches 
the Bermudas. Its breeding-home is not yet known, but is 
believed to be in Arctic America to the east of the Mackenzie 
River. This large race only differs from the true C. hyper- 
boreus in size, and it is extremely doubtful if it can be separated 
from the latter bird specifically. 
Hakits.— Nothing particular has been recorded of the habits 
of the Snow-Geese in their arctic home, where they frequent 
the tundras, or barren ground, feeding on grass and insects, 
and in the autumn on berries. 
Nest.— A hollow in the ground, lined with down. 
Eggs.— Dirty white in colour, and usually five in number. 
Axis, 3’ 1 5-3 4 inches; diam., 2-os-2-2. 
THE TRUE GEESE. GENUS ANSER. 
Anser, Briss. Orn. vi. p. 261 (1760). 
Type, A. anser (L.). 
The true Geese are found in the northern parts of the Old 
and New Worlds, breeding in the high north, and migrating 
south in winter. Four species occur in the British Islands, 
. and they are not always easy to distinguish, but they have 
been very clearly differentiated by Mr. Howard Saunders in 
his “ Manual ” and by Count Salvador! in the “ Catalogue of 
Birds.” The nail at the end of the bill is white in A. a?iser 
and A. albifrons, and blackish in A.fabalis and A. brachyrhyn- 
chus, and the colours of the bill and feet are usually distinc- 
tive characters, but too much stress must not be laid on these 
points, as they do not always hold true, while possibly some 
hybridisation takes place among the Geese, which may account 
for the appearance of the characters of one section unexpectedly 
among birds of the other section. 
I. THE GREY LAG-GOOSE. ANSER ANSER. 
Anas anser, Linn. S. N. i. p. 197 (1766). 
Anser ferus, Macg. Br. B. iv. p. 589 (1852) ; Salvad. Cat. B. 
Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 89 (1895). 
Q 2 
