594 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



affinities are clearly with the geese rather than 

 with swans, and it will breed with the races 

 previously described, though the progeny is 

 perfectly sterile. 



The head, bill, and greater part of the neck 

 of this goose are black, with a conspicuous white 

 cravat rather than collar at the throat, the head 

 and bill being long. The feathers of the upper 

 parts of the body are greyish-brown, rather lighter 

 at the edges, shading into ashy grey at the wing- 

 coverts, and gradually shading into greyish-white 

 on breast and under-parts, to pure white on the 

 abdomen. The flanks are pale grey tipped 

 with white, the quills of the wings, and tail, 

 almost black. The legs are rather long, set 

 somewhat back so as to give a commanding 

 carriage, and in colour blackish-grey to black. 

 The amount of brown differs somewhat, some 

 birds being an almost pure black and grey. 



Small flocks of these geese are often kept 

 in a half-wild condition as ornamental water 

 fowl, on meres and lakes; and such flocks do not 

 much exceed the weight above given. But by 

 selection in the United States, where they are 

 very largely bred in domestication, the size has 

 been increased, until they have adult ganders 

 weighing i6 lbs. and females of 14 lbs. The 

 goose is not a good layer, more than nine or ten 

 eggs being seldom produced in one laying, 

 though a second is often obtained by taking the 

 eggs away. It is cultivated there for the table 

 qualities, either of its own goslings, or of its 

 hybrid produce, which is almost always bred 

 with the African goose. The flesh of the Canada 

 goose is considered more delicate and delicious 

 than that of any other known waterfowl except 

 one, the far-famed Canvass-back duck ; and the 

 hybrids have almost the same reputation for 

 quality, and realise the highest prices of any 

 geese marketed in America. Now that the 

 somewhat gross and rich quality of the ordinary 

 goose appears to have lost much of its former 

 favour in England, this delicacy and quality of 

 flesh of the Canada and its hybrids are of 

 special importance, and may open out some 

 fresh possibilities. 



The cross-bred birds are known and sold in 

 American markets as " wild mongrels," and the 

 largest Canadian ganders are specially valued for 

 breeding them, realising from ten to twenty-five 

 dollars. This kind of breeding is only success- 

 fully carried on by experienced men, who under- 

 stand both the Canadian and African breeds. 

 The Canada gander only mates with a single 

 female, and is not very ready to mate with 

 another variety ; he has therefore to be run with 

 the goose for some time, and should have a good 

 range, with ample water, as natural-looking as 



possible ; on the other hand, when once mated 

 he will breed for many years, forming very 

 strong attachment to his partner. The African 

 gander is also sometimes used. He may be 

 mated with several Canadian females, and will 

 breed more readily, but the Canadian females 

 lay few eggs, and those not very early in the 

 season. 



One or two sub-varieties of the domestic 

 goose only require brief mention. The best 

 known is the Sebastopol or Danubian goose, 

 which has plumage of pure white. 

 Minor but of a peculiar character,somewhat 



Varieties between that of the Frizzled and 



Ornamental the Silky fowl. The feathers, except 

 Geese. those of the neck and breast, are 



very long, and slender in the quill, 

 and curled, so that the wind blows them all 

 about. The head, bill, and body are rather long. 

 These birds are small, only averaging about 

 10 lbs. each, and are also poor layers, and by no 

 means equal to the ordinary races in quality of 

 flesh. They are the most quiet and tame in 

 manners of all the geese, but are only valued by 

 some for their quaint appearance, and are of no 

 practical interest. 



A variety was highly recommended by several 

 writers about ten years ago under the name of 

 Italian geese. It has been stated to be un- 

 usually prolific, laying 50 to 60 eggs in one 

 laying, and sometimes a second. Mr. Teget- 

 meier describes them as mainly white, with a 

 blue-grey head, a grey roundish spot or patch 

 between the shoulders, and grey thighs. But a 

 great many we have heard of have certainly not 

 come up to that standard, and have been 

 decidedly small. Mr. R. Fowler found them, on 

 trial, to possess no superior merits, and they have 

 been scarcely heard of during recent years. 



Mr. Edward Brown published in 1S99 an 

 interesting account of two varieties of geese 

 which he had found in Russia, known as the 

 Arsamas and the Tula breeds, both bred in the 

 country south of Moscow, and for the special 

 purpose of fighting! The Arsamas is described 

 as pure white, and weighing from 15 to 20 lbs., 

 while the Tula is grey, and from 12 to 15 lbs. 

 In both the head is verj' short, almost round, 

 with a wide forehead bearing two prominences 

 in old birds; the bill also very short and thick at 

 the base, coming down in almost an unbroken 

 line from the forehead. The wing-muscles are 

 enormously developed, causing solid flesh on 

 the breast, rather than depth of abdomen. It is 

 claimed that crossing this breed upon other 

 European geese has somewhat of the same result 

 as crossing English fighting Game fowls upon 



