376 



CHAPTER XVI. 



Palmipedes ; Web-footed. Serrated or Tooth-billed. Geese ; 

 Flocks of How managed Plucking Singular attachment 

 Sagacity Courage of. Tree-geese. Swans; Muscular strength 

 Courage. Black Swans. Trade in Swan-quills. 



Table XXVI. (See p. 21.) 



Order 6. PALMIPEDES (Web-footed.) TRIBE 1. SERRIROSTRES, 

 (or Tooth-billed.) TABLE XXVII. 



WE now come to the last order, consisting of those 

 birds which are evidently calculated for swimming; having 

 their toes connected with a web, extending nearly to the 

 nails. There are, however, some few not classed here, 

 although they are undoubtedly web-footed, for instance, 

 the Avosets and Flamingoes; but these, as has been 

 already noticed, are not swimmers, their webs being of 

 use only in supporting them as they tread lightly over 

 marshy grounds. The first genus is that of the Anas, 

 comprising Geese and Ducks, whose beaks all, more or 

 less, partake of the toothed or serrated character, repre- 

 sented in the plate of the Shoveller-Duck's bill (page 

 32,) for the obvious purpose of feeding in the manner 

 there mentioned. 



Notwithstanding certain points of resemblance, con- 

 necting Swans, Geese, and Ducks under one head, there 

 are, nevertheless, some peculiarities in each, fully justi- 

 fying the various subdivisions adopted by modern natu- 

 ralists; by whom they have been, accordingly, separated 

 into four sections, Geese, Swans, and Ducks of two 

 sorts, one of which has the hind-toe furnished with a 

 loose membrane; these latter chiefly frequent sea-shores 

 or salt-marshes. 



At the head of this list stands the Goose, and with 

 reason, considering how valuable a bird it is, and how 



