THICK-BILLED GREY GOOSE. 593 



its appearance in various parts of the country toward the be- 

 ginning of winter, and departs in the end of April. It resorts, 

 not to marshy places only, but to open pastures and cultivated 

 fields ; its food consisting of the root-stems of aquatic grasses, 

 young corn, clover, and other green herbage. Being very 

 shy and vigilant, it is not easily shot, and when feeding in 

 the fields, on the alarm being given by some individual, they 

 all erect their necks, run forward, and uttering their loud 

 grating cries, spring into the air. Their flight is rather 

 heavy and sedate, performed at a great height, when they are 

 proceeding to a distance, the birds on such ocaasions ad- 

 vancing in a line, or in two lines forming an acute angle. 

 The flesh of this species is savoury, having a higher flavour 

 than that of the tame Goose ; but it is not often seen in our 

 markets, the " Common " Goose of which is the next species. 

 According to M. Temminck, it " inhabits the seas, coasts, 

 and marshes of the eastern countries ; seldom advances 

 northward beyond the fifty-third degree ; is abundant in 

 Germany and towards the centre of Europe ; and occurs only 

 on its migrations, and in very small numbers, in Holland 

 and France." It has not been met with in any part of Ame- 

 rica." 



Remarks. — By the older writers, this species was con- 

 founded with the two next. The three are so very similar 

 in plumage, that, until one has compared specimens of them, 

 it is not easy to determine them separately. The present 

 may, however, be knowm by its much larger bill, which is 

 flesh-coloured, with its unguis whitish. 



The common Domestic Goose appears to be the civilized 

 offspring of the Grey Goose, to which, in bulk and propor- 

 tion, it bears the same relations as other tame animals to 

 their prototypes : as a short-horned ox to a Devonshire ox, or 

 a domestic drake to a mallard. Mr. Yarrell is of opinion that 

 the White-fronted Goose has concurred with the Grey Lag 

 in producing our domestic race. It is impossible to say what 

 proportion it bears to the other species in Scotland ; but that 

 it occurs there is certain, for in the end of September 1843, I 

 inspected three specimens from Dee-side, in the Aberdeen 



p p 



