THE DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 53 



British bird, and is no less frequently met with over a large part of 

 Europe, extending thence into Asia, and as far east as Japan. 



We pass now to the True Geese, wherein, as with the Sheldrake, 

 both sexes are coloured alike. Though as a rule not very brightly 

 coloured, some species are conspicuously so. What we may call 

 the '' typical " Goose is represented by the ** Grey Lag " Goose. 



The Grey Lag Goose (Plate VL fig. i) is a most interesting 

 bird, because, probably, from this species our domesticated races of 

 Geese have had their origin. It owes its name, '' Lag Goose," to the 

 fact that it used to remain behind, or " lag " behind, to breed in the 

 English fens, when all its relatives had betaken themselves to more 

 northerly regions for this purpose. 



The Brent Goose (Plate VL fig. 2) represents the most abundant 

 and generally distributed of the British Geese, and is especially common 

 on the northern coasts. This bird also occurs throughout Arctic 

 America, eastward of Alaska. On the Pacific side of North America, 

 however, its place is taken by a closely allied species, wherein the 

 white patch of the neck — which distinguishes Bemicla brenta — 

 extends to form a complete ring. 



A much handsomer Goose is the Snow Goose (Plate VL fig. 3), 

 wherein the plumage is snow-white, relieved by the black quill- 

 feathers of the wings, while the legs and feet are bright red. It is 

 a very rare bird in Great Britain, its home being North America. 



The Swans are represented by several species, of which the 

 best known in Britain is the Mute Swan (Plate VL fig. 4), a bird 

 too well known to need description. Except the Australian Swan, 

 which is black, and the South American Black-necked Swan, all the 

 Swans are pure white in plumage when adult. 



