RED-BREASTED GOOSE. 81 



to the shores of the Frozen Ocean, where it is said to breed 

 and rear its young. According to M. Temminck it is found 

 about the estuaries of the rivers Ob and Lena. Professor 

 Nilsson mentions two instances only in which this bird lias 

 been obtained in Scandinavia, once in 1793, and once in 

 1830. Its migrations are said to have been more regularly 

 observed in Denmark ; and Faber includes it in his Prodro- 

 mus of the Ornithology of Iceland. It appears to have been 

 obtained more frequently in England than in any of the coun- 

 tries around it. The first example was taken near London 

 during the severe frost of 1766. This specimen passed into 

 the possession of Mr. Tunstall, and is now preserved in the 

 Museum of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Another was captured 

 alive in Yorkshire about the same time, soon became tame, 

 and was kept with some ducks in a pond, A third was killed 

 near Berwick-upon-Tweed, and formed part of Mr. Bullock''s 

 celebrated collection. This specimen is now preserved in the 

 British Museum. The authors of the Catalogue of Norfolk 

 and Suffolk Birds state, that Mr. Wigg had a specimen of 

 this rare Goose, which was killed at Halvergate in Norfolk, in 

 the year 1805. He says its flesh was well flavoured. It has 

 been elsewhere noticed, that the flesh was free from any fishy 

 taste, and in great esteem for the table. Other specimens 

 are stated to have been killed in Cambridgeshire during the 

 severe winter of 1813 ; and Dr. Edward Moore, in his Cata- 

 logue of the Birds of Devonshire, has recorded two instances 

 of this Goose having been obtained in that county. One was 

 shot on Kenton Warren in 1828, and is now in the posses- 

 sion of Mr. W. Russell, at Dawlish : the second was killed 

 on Teign marshes, February 1st, 1837, by Rendell of Buck- 

 land, and was prepared and preserved by Mr. Drew. But 

 one example is mentioned by M. Temminck as having been 

 killed in Holland ; but one in France, recorded by M. 

 Vieillot as having been killed near Stn-' bourgh ; and one in 

 VOL. III. a 



