THE GEESE, SWANS, AND DUCKS. 233 



side the neck. In one race the lower portion of the 

 breast is much darker, and there is less white on the 

 neck; and both forms, or sub-species, or w^hatever they 

 are, visit the British Islands. We used to stalk this bird 

 with rifle on the large brackish lagoons that lie close to 

 the Baltic, although the cold was often intense and the 

 birds were usually too shy to afford a shot. 



The Bernicle Goose from Greenland visits our western 

 counties with regularity and in considerable flocks. Along 

 t Bernicle the eastern seaboard, however, it is rarer. To 

 Qoose. Ireland it is a regular visitor. It differs from 

 the last in the white face, broken only by a black line 

 before the eye. In its food it is more omnivorous than 

 most geese, digging with its short bill in the mud for 

 molluscs and the like. Its note is louder than that of 

 most of our geese; and, like them, it loses its quills 

 so completely in its moult as to be unable to fly, and 

 at that trying period it has to escape by running. It 

 breeds freely in captivity, but its natural resting-place is 

 unknown. 



2. The Sw\4ns. 



Practically a domesticated bird, the Mute Swan is every 

 now and again shot in the wild state, to which it easily 

 reverts. Its most remarkable feature is the 

 shield or " berry " betw^een the eyes, not found 

 in other swans. The name " mute " is unsatisfactory, as 

 the bird has a loud trumpeting note, and will always hiss 

 loudly when provoked. It lacks, however, the call-note of 

 the next species. The swan will undoubtedly pick up a 

 living off water-plants and insects, but there can be little 

 doubt either of its helping itself freely to spawTi and 

 young fish wherever these delicacies are available, hence 

 the complaints of London anglers of the misdeeds of the 

 Thames swans, many of which are the property of the 

 liveried companies, others belonging to Eton College. 



