Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 6 (1902).djvu/409

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 * colspan=7 |A. gambeli.
 * colspan=7 |A. albifrons.
 * Stages.||Length.||Weight.||Wing.||Bill.||Tarsus.|| Neck.
 * Length.||Weight.||Wing.||Bill.||Tarsus.||Neck.
 * IN.||||IN.||IN.||IN.||IN.
 * IN.||||IN.||IN.||IN.||IN.
 * 1||29½||5 lb.||15¾||1·98||2·75||—
 * —||—||15||1·85||2·45||—
 * 2||—||—||15½||2·13||2·65||—
 * 3||28¾||5½ lb.||16||2·13||2·93||—
 * 4||28½||5¼ lb.||16½||2·1||2·95||8¾
 * 26||4½ lb.||15||1·80||2·52||7½
 * 5||—||—||—||—||—||—
 * 6||28||5 lb. 2 oz.||16½||2·17||2·91||9
 * 27½||5¼ lb.||16¼||1·85||2·60||7½
 * 7||29||5 lb.||18||2·24||3·0||—
 * 27½||5¼ lb.||16||1·80||2·60||—
 * 8||27½||4¼ lb. (thin)||16½||2·1||2·75||9
 * 27||5½ lb.||16½||1·80||2·65||—
 * 9||—||—||17½||2·1||2·85||—
 * 10||26||5 lb. 2 oz.||15½||1·95||2·62||—
 * 11||—||—||15¾||2·12||2·65||—
 * }
 * 6||28||5 lb. 2 oz.||16½||2·17||2·91||9
 * 27½||5¼ lb.||16¼||1·85||2·60||7½
 * 7||29||5 lb.||18||2·24||3·0||—
 * 27½||5¼ lb.||16||1·80||2·60||—
 * 8||27½||4¼ lb. (thin)||16½||2·1||2·75||9
 * 27||5½ lb.||16½||1·80||2·65||—
 * 9||—||—||17½||2·1||2·85||—
 * 10||26||5 lb. 2 oz.||15½||1·95||2·62||—
 * 11||—||—||15¾||2·12||2·65||—
 * }
 * 9||—||—||17½||2·1||2·85||—
 * 10||26||5 lb. 2 oz.||15½||1·95||2·62||—
 * 11||—||—||15¾||2·12||2·65||—
 * }
 * 11||—||—||15¾||2·12||2·65||—
 * }
 * 11||—||—||15¾||2·12||2·65||—
 * }
 * }

It will be seen from this that A. gambeli, taken all round, is a larger bird, with a proportionately much longer neck, than A. albifrons. Add to this a yellowish umber eyelid against dark drab, and reddish orange legs and bill against orange yellow legs and pale livid yellow bill.

I will here again refer to Mr. J.H. Gurney's paper above cited, and say how thoroughly I agree with him in his contention that all three White-fronted Geese should be treated as distinct species. I have already said sufficient with regard to the two larger ones; but now place my A. erythropus amongst the whole of the specimens, and it stands out instantly and conspicuously as distinct from all.

Mr. Gurney refers to A. erythropus having been described as being no larger than an Eider Duck, or even a Mallard. This is quite right so far as length and weight goes, for I have had Eider Ducks 5¾ lb. weight and length 28 in., measured to the toes, and Mallards 4 lb. with length exceeding 22 in., but the comparison goes no farther than this. This Eider of 5¾ lb. and 28 in. long exceeds the length and weight of the largest specimen of A. gambeli, but it does not look as large as A. erythropus of 4½ lb. The fact appears to be overlooked that the feathers clothing the body of an adult Wild Goose are very much larger than those on the body of an Eider Duck, which makes the former look conspicuously larger than the latter. Those writers who describe the lesser White-fronted Goose as being about the size of a Brent Goose make a far more commonsense comparison. My specimen of A. erythropus, which weighed 4½ lb., was a very plump, indeed quite fat, bird; in the normal condition of flesh in the breeding season I can quite understand that it would