A^D NEIGHBOURHOOD. 149 



which I know absolutely nothing in a wild state 

 from personal observation; but I gather from recent 

 authors that its breeding-haunts are as yet unknown, 

 that it is a winter visitor to our Islands, by no means 

 common on the eastern coasts, but very much more 

 so on the north-west, especially in certain localities 

 in the Hebrides and in Ireland ; it is essentially a 

 sea-Goose, and finds its provend on mud-flats and 

 salt-marshes, rarely coming inland to any considerable 

 distance from salt-water. This Goose thrives and 

 breeds freely in captivity, and either on land or 

 water is a most ornamental bird. I may mention 

 here that the great majority of the so-called " Wex- 

 ford Bernacles," so renowned for their culinary 

 excellence in the Irish markets, is certainly composed 

 of Brent Geese. 



176. BRENT GOOSE. 



Bernicla hrenta ? 



I place this species with a mark of interrogation 

 in these Notes, as the bird seldom voluntarily 

 leaves the salt-water, and my only authority for its 

 occurrence in Northamptonshire is vague and un- 

 satisfactory. I quote the very little that has readied 

 me on the subject of this occurrence, from letters 

 written to me by the late Mr. M. Berkeley, of 

 Benefield, in February 1876 : — " Davis, who was 

 keeper to the late Mr. Watts Russell, of Biggin, 

 between thirty and forty years, told me that he 

 well remembered Freeman, who succeeded him as 

 keeper some twenty years ago, shooting a Brent 

 Goose at the Oundle end of Biggin Lake." This, 



