178 OUR DOMESTIC I'OWLS, 



occasionally it visits the soutliern parts of the 

 European continent, and is not unfrequent 

 in Sicily. In England it is kept as an orna- 

 ment to sheets of water in parks and pleasure 

 grounds, where it breeds freely ; hence it hap- 

 pens that half-wild individuals which have 

 escaped from their inclosure, are occasionally, 

 sometimes even frequently, shot, leading those 

 not acquainted with the bird, to take it for 

 a British species. Its colouring is very beau- 

 tiful, and its pace on the ground far more easy 

 and graceful than that of the common goose. 



Two species of geese, besides the ordinary 

 goose, are often seen domesticated in our 

 island ; these are the Canada goose, {anser 

 Canadensis,) and the Chinese goose, {anser 

 Crjgndides.) "The Canada goose is the ordinary 

 wild goose of the middle and boi-eal regions of 

 North America ; and is a migratory bird, breed- 

 ing in the higher latitudes, within the arctic 

 circle ; whence, on the approach of winter, vast 

 flocks wing their way southwards, where every 

 means for their destruction are in active opera- 

 tion. In the fur countries, their appearance on 

 their northward return in the spring, is hailed 

 with joy ; for it is npon the flesh of this bird, 

 that the natives of the woody and swampy 



