242 REPTILES AND BIRDS. 



greenish black on each side of the bill, and a longitudinal one on the 

 occiput. The tufted crest, neck, scapulars, small coverts of the wing, 

 and all the lower parts are pure white ; the upper part of the back, 

 the two crescents under the sides of the breast, and the edges of the 

 scapulars are deep black ; the tail is ash-coloured ; sides and thigh? 

 are varied with ash-coloured zigzags ; bill, tarsi, and toes are bluish 

 ash ; webs black, and the iris brown. In habit the Smew greatly 

 resembles the Goosanders. 



The Goose (Anser) forms a special genus among the Palmipedes. 



Fig. 90. -The Smew. 



It is a bird which is often spoken of with contempt, though very 

 improperly, for few birds are able to afford mankind a greater amount 

 of service. 



THE WILD GEESE (Anser). 



The Wild Goose, though by no means elegant in form, has none of 

 the awkwardness of the Domestic Goose, which is generally supposed 

 to be descended from it. The body of the Grey-lag Goose is large 

 and full ; the neck long, at its upper part slender ; the head propor- 

 tionately small, ovate, oblong, and rather compressed ; the feathers 

 of the head are small, short, rounded and blended, of a greyish 

 brown ; those of the upper part of the neck small and oblong, and 

 arranged in ridges with deep intervening grooves, gradually getting 

 paler until it fades into greyish white ; the wings are long, reaching 



