ANSERINyE. 581 



These birds inhabit chiefly the arctic and antarctic regions 

 in summer, migrating in autumn toward the equator. They 

 are all decidedly gregarious, fly in lines when journeying, 

 have a strong and rapid flight, usually keep at a great height, 

 and being conspicuous by their size and loud cries, as well as 

 important in an economical point of view, gladden the inha- 

 bitants of the colder regions by their annual appearance as 

 the harbingers of summer. Their nests are bulky, placed on 

 the ground, in marshy situations ; their eggs numerous, 

 ovate or elliptical, white, or tinged with various hues, but 

 always of one colour. They walk slowly, but swim with ease, 

 although they never dive, unless in sport or when wounded, 

 and feed entirely on vegetable substances, chiefly grass and 

 seeds. Their quills, feathers, and down, are employed for 

 various purposes, and their flesh is savoury and nutritious, 

 although rather difficult of assimilation. Next to the Swans 

 they are the largest birds of the order to which they belong, 

 and those small species which some consider as Geese in 

 miniature are in reality Ducks. 



Those which occur in Britain may be arranged and briefly 

 characterized in the following manner : — 



SYNOPSIS OF THE BRITISH GENERA AND SPECIES. 



GENUS I. ANSER. GOOSE. 



Bill as long as the head, or considerably shorter, stout, 

 straight, sub-conical, of much greater height than breadth at 

 the base, narrowed toward the end, where it is somewhat 

 depressed, and broadly rounded, with a large, very convex, 

 firm-edged unguis ; the lamella? of the upper mandible exter- 

 nally triangular, dentiform, and projecting ; tarsus strong, 

 moderately compressed, reticulated all round with small 

 angular scales ; hind toe free, flattened beneath, anterior 

 toes rather long, scutellate, unless toward the base ; interdi- 

 gital membranes full ; claws short, strong, arched, obtuse ; 

 feathers of the neck oblong, convex, arranged in oblique 



