2^6 
Allen’s naturalist’s library. 
although Mr. Seebohm says that they only go out to the sand- 
banks at nightfall, 1 have seen flocks of them flying out, day 
after day, as soon as the sand-banks beyond the bar at Wells 
were left uncovered. They fly very high in the air, well out 
of gun-shot, in small or large parties, in a V or W form, and 
sometimes a couple of hundred or more will be on the wing 
together, flock succeeding flock, and the sound of so many 
Geese at once, uttering their musical “ tin-trumpet ’’-like call, 
is one which never fails to form an interesting experience to 
the listener. 
Nest and Eggs. — Similar in character to those of the Bean- 
Goose. 
THE BRENT GEE.SE. GENUS BRANTA. 
Bra 7 ita, Scop. Ann. I. Hist. Nat. p. 67 (1769). 
Type, B. bernicla (L.) 
In the Brent Geese the serrations of the upper mandible 
are not visible from outside, and the cutting-edge of the man- 
dible, or tomium, is almost straight. 
Count Salvadori recognises eight species of Brent Geese, all 
of them inhabitants of the northern parts of the Old and New 
World.s, breeding in the high north, and coming south in large 
flocks in winter. The large Canada Goose, which has been 
kept in confinement in England for many years, and from 
which all British-killed e.xamples are believed to have escaped, 
is a North American species, of which two other races B. 
hutchmsi and B. occidenlalis, are recognised by American 
ornithologists. The series in the British Museum is insufficient 
for me to determine the value of these forms, but I agree with 
Count Salvadori that they appear to be very doubtfully distinct. 
Bratiia minima is, however, a small and ivcll-defined race 
belonging to Western North America. B. tiigricatis has the 
same habitat, but occurs also on the coasts of Eastern Asia. 
All the other species of Bnmta are visitors to Britain, and are 
treated of in the following 2iages. 
I. THE BERNACLE GOOSE. BRANT-A. LEUCOPSIS. 
inas leucopsis, Bechstein, Orn. Taschenb. ii. p. 424 (1803). 
