BIRDS CLAIMING TO BE ACCOUNTED BRITISH. 269 



would-be Harlequins, only regretting that the tragical 

 deaths of so many innocents should have done so little for 

 the cause of science. Out of the whole twenty-two I could 

 have dispensed with twenty. Eight are in my opinion 

 clearly mistakes, and the rest are all doubtful except two — 

 those being the original Lewes specimens, and the recent 

 Aberdeen one. 



Red-breasted Goose. 



The Red-breasted Goose being such a rare bird at home 

 and abroad, I am delighted to have it in my power to give 

 any additional particulars about it. It is a species which 

 most ornithologists have always viewed with peculiar in- 

 terest, perchance because it is so high-priced, and so 

 seldom comes into the market ; perchance because of its 

 beauty ; perchance because it is by some supposed to be 

 moribund, though with this I do not agree. 



A list of no less than ten reputed British specimens are 

 given in Mr. Harting's most useful handbook, though I 

 would deduct four of them, and references to five local cata- 

 logues are added. 



The fine specimen which was shot near London in 1776 — 

 the locality must not be taken too literally (Fox's " New- 

 castle Mus.," pp. 96, 212) — is still in good order. It would 

 seem from external appearance to have the breast-bone in, 

 which was the old mode of stufifing. 



Of the Yarmouth specimen recorded by Paget, and Shep- 

 pard and Whitear, Mr. Stevenson is going to give a full 

 account, and I will not anticipate him further than to say, 

 that he has not been able to get any actual proof of its 

 having been correctly determined by Mr. Lilly Wigg, who 

 being, as I have hinted before, afflicted with an unfortunate 

 pencliant for tasting rare birds, cooked this valuable Goose, 

 which, skinned and sold, would have laid him golden eggs of 



