BIRDS OF THE STREAMS 8i 



Food. — Fish, frogs, small mammals, birds, &c. ; little 

 comes amiss. 



Nest. — March or April. 



Site. — On the ground in a reed-bed or swamp. 



Materials. — Sticks, reeds, and rushes. 



Eggs. — Four. Uniform olive-brown or green. 



GREY-LAG GOOSE (Anser cinereus]. 



From which our domesticated geese are descended. 



Once a resident and breeding in East Anglia, now a 

 winter visitor. It still remains to breed in decreasing 

 numbers in the north of Scotland. 



Haunts. — Marshes and waste lands near the sea. 



Plumage. — Head, neck, and upper parts greyish 

 brown ; rump and wing-coverts bluish grey ; under 

 parts dull white with a few dusky spots. Bill orange but 

 pink towards end ; nail white. Legs flesh-coloured. 

 Length 35 in. Female similar, but smaller. Young 

 darker, and no dusky spots on under parts. Young in 

 down, olive brown. 



Language. — A gaggle, much like the farm-yard Goose. 



Habits. — Gregarious. Flight rapid and powerful, with 

 the neck outstretched ; the flock usually flies in wedge- 

 form. Always very shy and wary. Like all the mem- 

 bers of this order, it is a good swimmer. 



Food. — Largely graminivorous. Grain in winter. 



Nest. — April. One brood. 



Site. — On the ground, amongst heather or grass. 



Materials. — Sticks, reeds, grass, and moss. Eggs 

 buried in greyish-white down from the female's breast. 



Eggs. — Six to eight or more. Dull yellowish or creamy 

 white. 



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