shops of the London poulterers from November till March,
and are in some request for the table as one of the best
among the different sorts of Wild Geese. They are not
known to remain to breed in any part of this country in their
natural wild state; but in June, 1843, a pair in the Gardens
of the Zoological Society brought forth their brood from one
of the islands in the pond to which they are restricted, and
showed great anxiety for the safety of their young. The
egg is white, tinged with buff, and measures 2;85 by 1*9 in.
This species has also produced a brood by union with a
Lernacle Goose, and one of the hybrids was presented to the
Gardens in 1844 by Lord Derby.
Large flocks of this species were seen in Cornwall and
Devonshire, during the winter of 1829-30, frequenting
turnip-fields , and it has frequently been killed in Hampshire,
Sussex, Kent, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, and Norfolk;
but in the latter county, according to Mr. Stevenson, it is
somewhat local. In Lincolnshire, and along the north-east
coast, it does not seem to occur in any great numbers, the
common species being the Bean Goose; and on the east side
of Scotland it is uncommon, except in Elgin, near the Moray
Firth. At long intervals it visits Shetland in large flocks.
On the west side it occurs only sparingly in the Outer
Hebrides, but in Islay it is the commonest species of ‘ Grey ’
Goose, arriving, according to Mr. H. J. Elwes, early in
October, and remaining till the middle of April. It has
been observed from time to time along the west coast of
England, and in Wales; but on the whole it is the most
locally distributed of the British species.
To Iieland the White-fronted Goose is a regular winter
\isitant, being especially abundant in the southern counties;
and on the west and north-west it is considered by Mr. R.
Wanen to be the commonest of the inland-feeding species.
During the severe winters of 1879-80, and 1880-81, large
numbers were observed, and a good many were shot, on the
open fields and inland waters. Sir R. Payne-Gallwey was
assured that during the unexampled bitter weather of January
1881, nine of these Geese pitched and fed ravenously on some
refuse vegetables in the main street of Tullamore, King’s
County.
The White-fronted Goose has been observed in the Faeroes,
and in the southern part of Iceland; and it occurs on the
coast of Norway in winter. According to Prof. Malmgren, it
visits the central and southern districts of Sweden on migration
; but the bird which breeds on the fells of Lapland,
and which is known as the ‘Mountain Goose,’ appears to
be the species described by Linnaeus under the name of
A. erythropus, characterized by its smaller size; short,
straight-ridged bill forming a line with the forehead, on
which the white extends beyond the line of the eye; and
somewhat darker plumage. No British-killed example of
the latter is known to be in existence, but Mr. Cordeaux
informs the Editor that, about ten years since, he saw
hanging on a stall in Grimsby market in which only
local birds are exposed, an undoubted example of this little
Goose, which was unfortunately sold and lost sight of before
he could secure it. It is naturally somewhat difficult to
trace the respective ranges of such close allies, but, according
to Henke, the large White-fronted Goose passes through
Archangel on migration, breeding on the Kanin peninsula;
and it is common in the Ural. On the Yenesei Mr.
Seebohm only obtained the Lesser White-fronted species;
but our bird is stated by Yon Middendorff to be the commonest
species found breeding in the Taimyr district; and it
appears to be not unfrequent at Irkutsk. In autumn and
winter this Goose visits Northern India, China as far south
as Shanghai, and Japan. On migration and in winter it
has occurred throughout Europe down to the African side
of the Mediterranean basin, vast flocks resorting to the
Nile valley ; and Dr. Leith Adams states that the White-
fronted and also, seemingly, the Grey Lag Geese, were
domesticated by the old Egyptians, characteristic delineations
in the British Museum, and in the little temple of
Amada, in Nubia, showing the steward counting the Geese
and Ducks in presence of the owner, to whom their feeders
are making obeisance.