272 THE BIUTISH WILD GEESE. 



abundant species in this country, but is occasionally found in bard weather 

 singly or in small groups, frequenting river sides or running streams, and 

 I believe is never found in the open country, but it is stated to be found 

 in large migratory flocks on the continent of Europe and America, and 

 is the only British Goose found in the latter country. 



The Anas ferus or Anser, the Grey-lag Goose, never was a migratory 

 species in this country, but permanently resided and bred in the carrs of 

 Yorkshire, and probably the fens of Lincolnshire; but it has long since been 

 banished from these places, yet still breeds sparingly in the western islands 

 of Scotland. These birds are the origin of our Domestic Goose, and I 

 had lately an opportunity of removing all doubts upon that subject by 

 observing three beautiful birds brought from Scotland by a friend of mine, 

 which were taken when he was shooting in that country. They at once 

 assumed all the characters and habits of the domestic bird, and had they 

 not come to an untimely end, would probably soon not have been capable 

 of being distinguished from them; they also exemplified my statement of 

 the perfection of the colours of the bills of young birds. Nothing could 

 exceed the beauty of their pink bills and white nails, so much so as to 

 as well warrant us to consider them a distinct species, under the name of 

 the Pink-billed Goose, as has been done in the case of the Pink-footed 

 Goose, soon to be noticed. With these remarks I^ismiss these two species, 

 and proceed to consider what remains of this group, not the Grey-lag or 

 White-fronted Goose. 



From time immemorial one of the features of the north and east of 

 England, has been the regular periodical appearance of countless flocks of 

 Wild Geese, which arrive every autumn about the end of harvest, and 

 when the objects of nature received more attention than they do in these 

 days got the name of the Bean Goose, as coming in the time of bean- 

 harvest, and when the bean- stubbles were ready for them, can it be doubted 

 that these large flocks are the produce of one distinct species marked by 

 nature with peculiar characters and habits. This species is the only one 

 that has any claim to the name of Bean Goose, (or Segetum,) the only 

 migratory species in this country, and the only abundant and common 

 species we have. Unaccountable as the case may appear, this bird is not 

 figured or characterized in any work on Natural History I am acquainted 

 with, and is not mentioned in the works of Mr. Yarrell, Mr. Gould, or 

 Mr. Morris, further than ascribing the habits of this bird to one given by 

 these authors under the figures and description of an entirely different 

 species, under the erroneous name of Segetum, or Bean Goose. Some years 

 ago Mr. Bartlett, struck by the obvious difference between the Geese he 

 met with in the markets, and the descriptions and drawings given of the 

 Bean Goose, and not being properly acquainted with the real Bean Goose, was 



