238 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS 



throughout the West of Scotland much less abundant 

 than the Bernicle. 



In Ireland it is, with the exception of Anser 

 alhifrons, the commonest of the wild geese found 

 there in winter. 



This is the Rut-goose {i.e. Root-goose) of old 

 writers, so called from its feeding on the succulent 

 roots of the grass-wrack, Zostera marina. It is men- 

 tioned as the rut-goys in the Durham Household 

 Book, 1530-34, with a note by the editor which 

 confirms this interpretation. See also Zool., 1882, 

 p. 296, and JNewton, "Diet. Birds," s.v. Rode-goose. 



In the stomach of one shot on the Yorkshire 

 coast were found specimens of a shell {Crenella 

 faber), the only known locality for which is the Sea 

 of Ochotsk (Gwyn Jeffreys). 



As to the white-bellied form of Brent Goose 

 which breeds in Arctic America, and is occasionally 

 met with in this country, see Seebohm, " British 

 Birds," vol. iii. p. 508, and ZooL, 1887, pp. 29, 182. 



The Brent is the smallest of all the wild geese 

 which frequent our coasts in winter, averaging in 

 weight from 3| to 4^ lbs. 



CANADA GOOSE. Bernicla canadensis (Linn^us). 

 Length, 42 in. ; bill, 2 to 2-50 in. ; wing, 18 to 20 

 in. ; tarsus, 3 in. 



Although frequently met with in a state of 

 liberty in winter, there is no evidence that this 

 species comes to us from America. On the con- 

 trary, the fact of its having been domesticated here for 



