LEBRET T (1959) The decrease of the Pinkfooted Goose Anser brachyrhynchus in the province of Zeeland, Netherlands. LIMOSA 32 (4): 193-199.

WEBBE (1958) discusses the decrease of the Pinkfoot (Anser brachyrhynchus) on the Veerse Gat estuary between the isles of Walcheren and Noord-Beveland. He adds some quotations from the diaries of Mr LEYBORNE POPHAM, who used to go wild fowling in this area in the years of about 1892--1933. I have a lively interest in the study by Mr WEBBE (a) from the scientific view-point and (b) because the Veerse Gat estuary is part of an extensive wildfowl sanctuary founded in 1939 and managed by the Stichting Het Zeeuwsche Landschap, a foundation for nature conservancy in the province of Zeeland, of which I am the secretary at present. When I settled on the isle of Walcheren in 1947. one of the first wildfowl problems I tried to solve was: Where are the former Pinkfoot concentra tions of the Veerse Gat estuary and why have they gone. In fact I did not discover very much. mainly because in the local vocabulary all grey geese are lumped together as Vriesganzen (Frost-geese). Only few people identify the Whitefronted Goose (Anser albifran s). The only observations known to me have been published by VLEUGEL (1948) who mentions three Pinkfoot observations on Zuid Beveland in 1940 and 1941 concerning two small ?locks and one single bird. Another difficulty in tracing the Pinkfeet of the Veerse Gat and the cause of their complete absence in recent years was my lack of data on their former distribution and the history of their decrease. Since the data published by WEBBE are providing new and interesting starting points. I have renewed my efforts. In the autumn of 1958 I have interviewed some people at Veere and I have also propounded the question to Mr. M.DE BRUIN. archivist at Middelburg and expert of the history of the changes of the coastal lines in this province. Most valuable information was also given by Mr. H. WILDEROM. of the research section of Rijkswaterstaat. I am highly indebted to Messrs. DE BRUIN and WILDEROM for their kind information Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus = Anser fabalis brachyrhynchus

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