260 ANATIDiE. 



the belly, and all the under surface of the body, white ; sides, 

 flanks, and thighs, barred ^\ath ash-colour and greyish-white ; 

 under tail-coverts, and the under surface of the tail-feathers, 

 white ; legs, toes, and membranes, dull flesh-colour ; the 

 claws black. 



The whole length of an adult male is thirty-five inches ; 

 the wing, from the carpal joint to the end of the second 

 quill-feather, which is the longest, seventeen inches and a 

 half; the wings when closed scarcely reaching to the end of 

 the tail. Both males and females have a hard callous knob 

 at the point of the wing, which varies in size in the different 

 species of Geese. The males in this genus are larger than 

 the females. An adult female measured thirty inches in 

 the whole length, and sixteen inches in the wing. Mr. 

 Bartlett, who has paid great attention to the plumage of 

 these birds, says, the young of this species are darker than 

 the adults, but the grey colour of the shoulders and rump, 

 the form of the bill, and the colour of the legs and feet, will 

 always distinguish them from the young of any of the other 

 species. 



The Grey Lag Goose in a domestic state has produced 

 young by union with the Knobbed, or Swan Goose, A. ci/g- 

 noicles ;* also with the Canada Goose, and once with the 

 Bernacle Goose. It has been stated that when a union 

 takes place between two difierent species of Geese, both 

 having light-coloured legs, or both having black legs, the 

 young are prolific ; but when produced between two birds 

 one of which has light-coloured legs, the other black legs, 

 the young are not prolific. 



* The Knobbed, Swan, Guinea, Cape, or Chinese Goose — for by all these names 

 is it known — is an introduced species, a native of Central Asia. Both there and 

 in this country it breeds freely in confinement with the domestic species, the 

 hybrids being fertile. From time to time an unjiinioned individual escapes, and 

 is duly slain and recorded. 



