470 WILD FOWL IN ST. JAMES'S PARK. 



Vauxhall bridges, where they were much shot at, but with 

 little or no effect, as they were there singularly shy of ap- 

 proach; and others disappeared altogether and returned in 

 the spring, as did also one of the coots, and some teal. A 

 pair of bean geese, with the full use of their wings, and pre- 

 viously supposed to be male and female, each produced nine 

 eggs which were unimpregnated, but on which they sat for 

 some weeks : it was supposed that they might possibly have 

 produced hybrids from a male Canada goose, which constant- 

 ly associated with them, and posted himself in defence of one 

 of them while it was incubating ; a circumstance the more 

 worthy of notice, as an odd female Canada goose of the pre- 

 ceding year (which species does not breed, however, till the 

 second season), might have served him at least for a compan- 

 ion, if not mate. One of these bean geese was stolen early in 

 last spring, and the other laid and sat again to no purpose ; 

 for she very rarely associated with a fine new pair of the same 

 species, introducedlast winter, and which will most probably 

 rear a brood next year: the latter may now generally be seen 

 in company with a male of Mr. Bartlett's new species, — the 

 Anser phcenicopus ; closely allied, but readily distinguishable 

 by the colour of its legs, inferior size, and certain other cha- 

 racters of equally invariable occurrence : the old female bean 

 goose always affecting the society of a flock of knobbed geese 

 {Anser cygnoides). 



It is to be regretted that the spoonbills and other interest- 

 ing large birds for a considerable while located to the spot, 

 and which as they soared on wing were certainly an interest- 

 ing attraction to visitors, have been shot down one by one in 

 the suburbs of London (both the spoonbills from coming with- 

 in range of pigeon-matches), to the discredit of even cockney 

 sportsmen, who could scarcely have missed so large and slow- 

 winnowing an object. As a general rule, however, the Cul- 

 tirostres, Cuv., were disposed to snap up the ducklings, &c, 

 as might be expected ; but it would hardly have been antici- 

 pated that a bittern would have smashed all the eggs it found, 

 with intent to pick out, I should suppose, the half-formed 

 chick, if such existed, which act has been witnessed on more 

 than one occasion, and suspected on numerous others. 



The wholesale destruction of eggs, then, effected by five or 

 six bitterns, and several herring-gulls, may well be imagined ; 

 and it is therefore satisfactory to know that the collection will 

 henceforth be confined to the La?nellirosfres, with the addi- 

 tion of a few other harmless species, such as coots, from which 

 no mischief need be apprehended. 

 • The vast stock of fish which everywhere abound in this 



