BARNACLE GOOSE. 355 



remarked, as he travelled along, a great number of Geese in 

 the air,* which alighted and dispersed through the hamlets. 

 On inquiry, he learnt that these birds came from the remote 

 northern lakes; and that every year, on the breaking up of 

 the ice, in March and April, six or seven pair of Geese 

 leave each hut of the villacre, and return not till the begrin- 

 ning of winter, or the first fall of snow ; that then these 

 flocks arrive, increased by their progeny, and each little 

 party, separating from the rest, seek out the houses where 

 they lived the preceding winter. 



The Canada Goose is usually about 3 to 3^ feet long ; the wing 

 19^ inches ; the bill above, 2 inches 2 lines ; the tarsus 3 inches 7 

 lines. Head, two thirds of the neck, greater quills, rump, and tail, 

 pitch black. Back and wings broccoli-brown, margined with wood 

 brown. Base of the neck before, and under plumage yellowish-grey 

 with paler edges. Flanks and base of the plumage generally brown- 

 ish-grey. A few feathers about the eye, a large kidney-shaped patch 

 on the throat, the sides of the rump, and upper and under tail cov- 

 erts, pure white. Bill and feet black ; the former shaped consid- 

 erably like that of the Barnacle. 



BARNACLE GOOSE. 



(Anser leucopsis, Bechst. Bonap. Synops. No. 319. Anas leucopsts, 

 Temm. Man. d'Orn. ii. p. 823. Anas erythropus, Lin. ed. 12. p. 

 197. sp. 11. Bcrnicla or Clakis, Lath. Syn. vi. p. 4CG. Penn. 

 Arct. Zool. ii. No. 479. La Bcrnache, Buff. PI. Enlura. 855. [old 

 male.]) 



8p. Charact. — Dark ash color; neck and tail black; face, and 

 beneath from the breast, white ; bill and feet black. 



This species, so remarkable in its history, is said to be 

 common to the Arctic regions of both continents, migrating 

 to more temperate climates in autumn and winter. They 



* The common domestic kind, Jlnas anser, Lin. 



