ly very common in the fens of this country, residing there
the whole year, breeding there, and bringing out eight or
nine young; but that the general system of draining pursued
in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and Lincolnshire, has been the
means of driving them away. Certain it is that now the
Grey-legged Goose is comparatively a rare bird at any season*
and whole winters pass away without a single example occurring
in the London market, though the bird is well known to
some who are constantly upon the look-out for it. A few
specimens appeared in October 1887, and in January 1888,
and I considered myself fortunate in obtaining two spedmens
in March 1840, at the common wild goose price, of a poulterer
who did not know them as. distinct from the Bean
Goose. Montagu says they, have been killed in open countries
when feeding upon young green wheat; they feed also
on the grasses, aquatic plants, and any sort of grain.
The Grey-legged Goose is considered to have' bred formerly
in Ireland, but is now a rare visiter there, even in fainter.
A specimen is occasionally obtained in Devonshire,* and the
same may be said of it in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk-, Durham,
and Northumberland. This species visits both Orkney and
Shetland in winter, but does not remain to breed, there.
Richard Dann, Esq. who has supplied me with interesting
notes referring to many of the species of this extensive family
of birds, more particularly as to their breeding ground and
habits in Scandinavia, says, “ On the inlets and islands from
Bergen northwards, this Goose is not uncommon during the
summer, particularly about Hitteren, where they are tolerably
numerous early in August, and one of our party shot one
there, which proved to be a very large gander. Their migration
so far north, however, seems to be confined to the coast,
never having met-with them in Lapland, or in the northern
parts of Sweden or Norway. They make their appearance
* Montagu’s collection of birds; as left by him, did not contain this species.
in the Elbe at the latter end of August or the beginning of
September, remaining there until October, and then go further
south.
Professor Nilsson, who resides in the south-eastern part of
Sweden, says, that a few pairs make their appearance there
towards the end of April* The males leave the fens when
the females begin to sit, and collect in flocks near or on the
sea ; the females conduct their young when they are ready
to go. The eggs of this species are of a dull yellowish ivory
white, smooth and shining, measuring three inches one line
in length, by two inches and one line in breadth.
This species is said to go as far as Iceland in summer, and
to most of the countries still farther north, but late observers
do not include them among the birds of the Arctic. regions,
or of North America. The Grey-legged Goose is not common
in Holland or France, but is said to be more abundant
in Germany, and the central portions of Europe. Said to
be found in Northern Asia, China, and Japan.
The beak is of a pale flesh colour, the homy nail at the
extremity of each mandible white; the irides brown; the
head, nape, back of the neck, and the upper part of the back,
ash-brown, the latter named part with lighter coloured edges ;
inner portion of the wings, scapulars, and tertials, lead-grey
with broad and lighter grey coloured margins; the point of
the wing, both sets of upper wing-coverts, and all the feathers
on the primary portion of the wing, except the quill-feathers
beyond the first three, very light bluish-grey; the three
outer quill-feathers also light grey; the rest dark lead-grey,
all with white shafts; the lower part of the back and the
rump uniform light bluish-grey; upper tail-coverts white;
tail-feathers lead-grey, tipped with white; chin, neck in
front, and the breast, of a lighter grey colour than the back
of the neck ; the belly, and all the under surface of the body,
white ; sides, flanks, and thighs, barred with ash colour and