126 
THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
[OHAr. 
down. This variety of goose is found in greatest numbers 
during the moulting season at small inland lakes along the 
coast, for instance on the line of coast between Bell Sound and 
Ice Fjord and on Gooseland. The walrus-hunters sometimes 
call them ‘‘ rapphoens ” —partridges—'a misleading name, which 
in 1873 induced me to land on the open coast south of Ice 
Fjord, where ''rapphoens ” were to be found in great numbers. 
On landing I found only moulting barnacle geese. The bar¬ 
nacle goose finds its food more on land and inland lakes than 
in the sea. Its flesh accordingly is free from the flavour of 
train oil and tastes well, except that of the female during the 
hatching season, when it is poor and tough. The eggs are 
better than the eider’s. 
On Spitzbergen besides the barnacle goose we meet with the 
closely allied species Anser leiicopsis, Bechst. It is rather rare, 
but more common on Novaya Zemlya. Further there occurs at 
the last-named place a third species of goose, vildgaosen, the 
« grey goose ” or “ great goose ” of the walrus-hunters ; the bean 
goose {Anser segetiim, Gmek), which is replaced on Spitzbergen 
by a nearly allied type, the pink-footed goose {Anser hr achy- 
rhynchus, Baillon). These geese are much larger than both the 
eider and the barnacle goose, and appear to be sufficiently 
strong to defend themselves against the fox. They commonly 
breed high up on some mossy or grassy oasis, among the stone 
mounds of the coast mountains, or on the summit of a steep 
strand escarpment in the interior of the fjords. During the 
moulting season the grey geese collect in flocks at the small 
fresh-water lakes along the coast. The flesh of this species of 
goose is finer than that of the common tame goose and has no 
trace of any train flavour. 
Among the swimming birds that give the summer life on 
Novaya Zemlya its peculiar character, we may further reckon 
the scaup-duck and the swan. Alfogel or allan, the long-tailed 
duck {Fuligula glacialis, L.) is rare on Spitzbergen, but occurs 
