THE TRUE GEESE. 
231 
Adult Female.— Similar to the male, but a little smaller. Total 
length, 26-0 inches ; wing, 15. 
Young Birds.— Darker and more uniform in colour than the 
adults, and the nail at the end of the bill is brown ; the under 
surface is more uniform, without any black patches or bars. 
Characters.— The White-fronted Goose is a smaller bird than 
the Grey Lag-Goose, and has an orange-coloured bill with a 
white nail at the tip. The white forehead also easily dis- 
tinguishes it, when adult, though it should be noted that, in our 
figure, the white is rather more extended than it should be. 
°Eangc in Great Britain.-This Goose does not breed within our 
limits, and is only a winter visitant, with a somewhat curious 
distribution, as is detailed by Mr. Howard Saunders and Mr. 
Seebohm. It occurs somewhat sporadically, and is rare on 
the east coasts of both England and Scotland, is commoner in 
Ireland. On the west coast of Scotland it is a rare visitor, as 
a rule, and on the Outer Hebrides is only an occasional visitor, 
but on Islay is said to be the most common of all the Grey 
Geese. 
Range outside the British Islands.— The European form of the 
White-fronted Goose breeds in the high north, from Green- 
land and Iceland to Central Siberia, as Mr. Seebohm found 
it on the Yenesei, and he states that it passes farther to 
the north to breed than either the Bean-Goose or the Grey 
Lag-Goose. In America a large form, A. gambeli, is found, 
which can only be considered a slightly larger race of our A. 
albifrons, and this race breeds in Arctic America and goes 
south in winter, as does the true A. albifrons, which in the 
cold season occurs throughout Europe, and even winters in 
North-western India and Chin.a. 
Haljits. — The same as those of the Grey Lag-Goose. Mr. 
Seebohm says that the notes are somewhat similar to those ot 
the last-mentioned species, but are more trumpet-like in tone, 
and more rapidly repeated, so that it has sometimes been 
called the Laughing Goose. He remarks further ‘ In other 
respects the habits of the White-fronted, Bean, and Grey Geese 
are so similar that the description of one might almost pass lor 
that of the others.” 
