known to pitch often except bn the coast. This '©oo^ens
more of a sea' bird than the rest of the tribe, keeping much
in narrow tide ways, and feeding bp the drift weed. They
are^ very abundant among the Danish islands in November
and December.”
The Brent Goose'is found during summer at the Faroe
Islands, and at Iceland. D r.; Richardson says, this neat
small (3bos#is.'very numerous on the;-boast of Hudson^BayV
in its passage to and from the north. Captain JameS Ross
states that it did not remain near Felix Harbour, Boothia, to
breed, but went still farther n orth; and that it is found'
during the summer months in the-highest 'northern latitudes
that have been visited. I t was found breeding on Parry’s
Islands, in latitude- ^4°, 75^1^
Eggs brought home by some of our northern voyagers
were of a greyish white colour, arid-measured two ihehhS^Pird1
three-quarters in length, by one inch and three-quarters in
breadth. The bird is well known to the ornithologists, of the
United States : and Mr. Audubon says they have produced
their young in captivity.
Captain Scoresby, -in his account of the ArCtic Regions,
reports that the Brent Goose occurs in considerable: numbers
near the coast of Greenland ; but is not seen in any quantity
a t Spitzbergem In K. E. Von Baer’s description of Animal
life in Nova. Zeinbla, a translation of which appeared in the
fourth volume of the Annals of Natural History, it is observed,
“ Among the web-footed birds which pass the season
here, the Bean Geese are so -common, at least in the southern
island, that- the collecting their fallen wing-feathers is an object
of profit; according to the assertions of the Walrus-
Catchers, only one species- of goose Comes to Nova Zembla,
and we in fact got sight of. no- other thafi the Bean Goose*
and the Brent Goosey-which latter, however, does not pass
for a goose among the Russians. The web*footed herbi-*
"vorous birds, however, collect in much greater numbers upon
the island of Kolg'ujew, which is described as covered with
swarisrand geese, than in Nova Zembla, where the vegetation
i s '#>©-scanty. On this account expeditions are sometimes
sent hither to kill and salt these birds. A merchant of
Archangell-tdld'.m'e that onc.e fifteen thousand geese were
Jdlfed here in two Hunts.” -.
In /the adult male the bill is black, and only one inch and
a half in length-; the irides very dark brown, almost black;
the forehead low, the’ Head small and black ^ the neck all
round black-, "except a small patch on each side, whieh is
white* but mixed-with a few regularly placed black feathers ;
back, scapulars, wing-covert's, and tertials, dark brownish-
black, the edges a little lighter in colour; primary and se-
cdndary quill-feathers&pjk'ok the -rujnp black ; upper tail-
. coverts white ; * tail-feathers. black; upper part of the breast
black'; lower portion of the breast and the belly slate-grey,
with tighter coloured ma rginsvent and under taihcoverts
whilf^Iegs, toes, membranes, and claws black»
The whole length twenty-bne- inch|§| From the carpal
joint to the- end- of the wing thirteen inches ; the first quill-
feather the longest in the wing.
Females are a little smaller than mates* and have their«
plumage tinged; with brown.
Yotifig birds of*-the year have little or no white patch on
thd;sides ,of the neck'; head and neck dusky lead-grey; the
feathers of the body edged with brown; belly and flanks light.
grey.