BRITISH BIRDS. 
306 
BEAN GOOSE, 
This fpecies differs very little in its general 
appearance from the Grey Lag Goofe, the chief 
diflindtion between them being in the bill ; which 
in this is fmall, much compreffed near the end, 
whitifh, and fometimes of a pale red in the mid- 
dle, and black at the b'afe and nail : the latter 
is fhaped fomewhat like a horfe-bean, from which 
it has obtained the name of Bean Goofe. The 
length of this bird is two feet feven inches ; breadth 
four feet eleven ; its weight about fix pounds and a 
half. The head and neck are of a cinereous brown 
colour, tinged with ferruginous : bread and belly 
dirty white, clouded with cinereous : fides and fca- 
pulars dark afli, edged with white : the back of a 
plain afh-colour : coverts of the tail white : leffer 
coverts of the wings light grey, nearly white ; the 
middle deeper, tipped with white : primaries and 
fecondaries grey, tipped with black : feet and legs 
faffron colour : claws black, 
Thefe birds arrive in the fen counties in the au- 
tumn, and take their departure in May. They are 
faid to alight in the corn-fields, and to feed much 
upon the green wheat, while they remain in Eng- 
land. They are reported to breed in great nunir 
bers in the Ifle of Lewis, and no doubt on others 
of the Hebrides, and alfo at Hudfon’s Bay. 
