This species is more arctic in its range than the grey lag, and has
not been known to breed in this country, except in a domestic state.
It visits Scotland, Ireland, and the north and east coasts of England,
in winter. It is less in size than the grey lag, but its habits are
similar: by day it feeds on the wolds and stubbles, and its love of
grain has won for it the common name of bean-goose, as well as its
scientific name, _segetum_. Its flight is somewhat laboured, with
measured wing-beats, but powerful and rapid, and the birds travel in
skeins, or in a phalanx formation. It breeds in extensive marshes and
lakes, making its nest on the ground among the rushes on small islands.
The nest is a slight hollow lined with dead grass and moss, and down
from the parent bird: three or four eggs are laid, creamy white in
colour, with a rough granular surface. Before the young are able to fly
the moulting season begins, when the birds lose the power of flight, as
is the case with all the geese; and according to Seebohm’s interesting
account, even in the remote and desolate districts in Siberia, to which
this bird resorts to breed, the moulting season is one of great danger
to it. He says: ‘The Samoyades in the valley of the Petchora gave us
glowing accounts of the grand battues which they used to have at these
times, surrounding the geese, killing them with sticks, and collecting
sacks full of down and feathers.’
Pink-footed Goose.
Anser brachyrhynchus.
Colour of plumage as in the bean-goose, but with the bluish grey on the
shoulder of the wing as in the grey lag goose; upper mandible pink in
the centre; base, edges, and nail black; legs and feet pink. Length,
twenty-eight inches.
* * * * *
This goose very closely resembles the bean-goose in habits, colour,
and general appearance; the only difference of any importance between
the two species consists in the smaller beak of the pink-foot, from
which it takes its name of _brachyrhynchus_ (short-billed), and in
its legs being pink instead of yellow. It was first described as a
distinct species about fifty years ago, but is still regarded by some
authorities as only an ‘island form’ of the bean-goose. The pink
colour of the bill and feet is found not to be constant, and Seebohm
says, ‘It looks very much as if the pink-footed geese had been long
enough in the arctic climate of Spitzbergen to change the colour of
their feet, but not long enough to make the new colour permanent,
and that when bred in the warmer climate of this country they had a
tendency to hark back to their ancestors.’
White-fronted Goose.
Anser albifrons.
White on the forehead and at the base of the lower mandible; upper
parts brownish ash; breast and belly brownish white broadly barred with
black; bill orange-yellow, with a white nail at the tip; legs and feet
orange. Length, twenty-seven inches.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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