GEESE. 



649 



geese have. The tail feathers are black, the thighs pale &quot;buff in plumage, and the legs a 

 reddish yellow. 



The Sevastopol Goose. This is a very peculiar variety derived from the region 

 from which it takes its name, and sometimes called the Dariubian Goose, it being quite com 

 mon in the region of the Danube. In form it resembles the common goose, the peculiarity 

 being in the plumage which seems to grow the wrong way, like that of the Frizzled Fowl. 

 The plumage is pure white, and from the tail anti saddle they have long trailing feathers 

 which are beautifully curved, while they are so thin in the quill that the least breeze blows 

 them about, and are said u to look as though they were hatched in a gale of wind.&quot; The 

 average weight of these birds is about ten pounds each. They breed freely with common 

 geese, and the progeny generally show the peculiar plumage in a modified form. 



SEBASTOPOL GEESE. 



General Management of Geese. The raising of geese is a very simple process, 

 and may be made quite profitable where there are the proper surroundings and facilities. 

 They may be raised with only sufficient water for drink, but it is better for them to have 

 access to water in the form of ponds, streams, marsh, swamp, or sea-shore estuary, if prac 

 ticable. There is usually one gander to three or four geese, but some breeders prefer them 

 in pairs, as the male guards the nest during the incubating season, while the goose is off feed 

 ing. The gander is best for breeding purposes after his second year, and he will remain in 

 full vigor for several seasons. Old geese make better mothers than young ones. When first 

 commencing to lay, geese are apt to be irregular, but when more mature they will lay regu 

 larly, and yield a litter of from fifteen to twenty eggs before inclining to sit. The average 

 number of eggs laid by geese in a year is from forty to forty-five, but they occasionally lay 

 from sixty to seventy. This number is, however, not common. 



