ON THE SPECIFIC VALIDITY OF ANSER GAMBELI
(Hartlaub), AND ITS POSITION AS A BRITISH
BIRD.
By F. Coburn.
Fully realising the great importance which attaches to the introduction of a new species of bird to the lists not only of Great Britain, but Europe as well, I have not committed myself to the following observations and conclusions without mature study, and shall treat the subject with a minuteness of detail befitting its character.
At the meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club in October, 1901, when I exhibited a series of my Icelandic birds, I also submitted my specimen of Anser erythropus (ante, 1901, page 317), and an almost completely black-breasted example of what I then thought was A. albifrons.
In my collection I have another specimen of this stage, which I secured from Co. Mayo many years back, and which has the whole under parts much blacker even than the former one, being a glossy jet-black, practically without any admixture of drab.
Both birds had been a puzzle since they came into my possession, and this largely influenced me in taking my specimen to London with A. erythropus, as I expected to find similar birds at South Kensington, and thus receive enlightenment. I was, however, much surprised to hear from the courteous authorities at the Museum that they had never before seen a specimen like mine! and that A. albifrons was not known to assume entirely black under parts. It was vaguely suggested that my specimen might be A. gambeli!
Subsequently, at the request of Mr. J.H. Gurney, I sent A. erythropus and this black-breasted bird for his inspection, also to be exhibited before the Norwich Naturalists' Society. Mr. Gurney expressed to me his opinion that this black-breasted bird might be A. gambeli, and has since published this view in
