334 Miscellaneous Ornithological Notes. 



the river ; this was an old bird, in the most perfect state of 

 plumage ; the cere was of a beautiful bright yellow, and the 

 bird altogether bore a striking resemblance to Gould's figure. 

 The fourth bird came into my possession on Saturday, Fe- 

 bruary 17th, 1838, in quite a recent state, having been killed, 

 I believe, near the embouchure of the Kibble two days before. 

 It is evidently a young bird, though full grown : from the end 

 of the bill to the tip of the tail it measured 5 feet, and the 

 wings when extended measured 8 feet from tip to tip. The 

 breadth of the foot, when the web was stretched out, was 7 j- 

 inches. Altogether the linear dimensions were equal to, or 

 rather greater than those of the above-named adult specimen. 

 The bird was excessively thin and meager, and weighed on- 

 ly 12 lbs. whilst the weight of the adult was 20 lbs. The 

 cere was of a pale flesh colour, with blotches and dashes of 

 black, but exhibiting no trace whatever of yellow ; and the 

 plumage, instead of being of the beautiful snowy white of the 

 adult, was of a dirty greyish white throughout, conveying to 

 the mind, at first sight, the impression that the bird was dir- 

 ty, but on a closer inspection this colour of the plumage was 

 found to be permanent. In the works of the various ornitho- 

 logists in my possession, the writers content themselves with 

 describing the adult birds, and make no mention of the diffe- 

 rent colouring of the young bird ; from this, however, I must 

 except M. Temminck, who describes the young bird very mi- 

 nutely, and his description for the most part agrees with the 

 appearance of my specimen. 



The Canada Goose. It is generally believed that this 

 bird is not indigenous to Europe, and Gould omits all men- 

 tion of it in the ' Birds of Europe.' Possibly it may be so, 

 but I am inclined to agree with a writer in your Magazine, 

 who is of opinion that the specimens shot occasionally in 

 England, are really, bond fide wild specimens, and not do- 

 mesticated or semi-domesticated birds, escaped from confine- 

 ment in gentlemen's parks, or from farm-yards. On Saturday, 

 January 27th, there were two remarkably fine specimens of 

 this bird in the Preston market; I purchased the finest of 

 them, and therefore had an opportunity of minute inspection, 

 and certainly, in my opinion, the bird presented no marks of 

 domestication ; but I repeat, I may possibly be mistaken : 

 and if it had escaped some time from confinement, it would 

 have much more the appearance of a wild bird, than if its es- 

 cape had been recent. 



Blackburn, Lancashire, 

 February 19th, 1838. 



