GOOSE GOOSE-FOOT. 



507 



to the friendly Indians, against whom several severe 

 laws liad been passed, through apprehension that they 

 might join king Philip. His resistance, however, 

 soon afterwards, to the attempts made to destroy the 

 charter of Massachusetts, reinstated him in the con- 

 fidence and favour of the people. In 1681, lie was 

 made major-general of the colony. He died in 1687, 

 in the seventy-sixth year of his age. His principal 

 work is called Historical Collections of the Indians, 

 and was published in the first volume of the Collec- 

 tions of the Massachusetts Historical Society, in 

 1782. He also left, in manuscript, a history of New 

 England. 



GOOSE (anas). Those species of this genus which 

 are generally known by the name of ducks, have 

 been spoken of under that head. The common goose, 

 whose domestication is much less ancient and com- 

 plete than that of the common hen, is the A. cinereus, 

 which, in its wild state, is grey, with an orange beak. 

 Domestication has already induced innumerable 

 varieties ; this state has also greatly added to the 

 fecundity of this bird. Three different broods can 

 be obtained by taking away the first eggs, and hatch- 

 ing them umler a hen. None of our domestic birds 

 are so apt to bring forth monstrous productions as 

 geese a circumstance which has been attributed to 

 the excessive fatness to which they are liable. The 

 liver of a fat goose is often larger than all the other 

 viscera, and was a dish in so great reputation among 

 the epicures of Rome, that Pliny thought it deserved 

 a serious discussion, to whom the honour of invent- 

 ing so excellent a dish was due. They fed their 

 geese on figs, to improve their relish, and were not 

 ignorant that they fattened sooner in a dark room ; 

 but it was left for modern gastronomers to invent the 

 barbarous method of nailing down their feet and put- 

 ting out their eyes. 



Among the principal species of geese may be 

 enumerated the following, which are chiefly peculiar 

 to America : 



The snoio goose (A. hyperborea). This species, 

 which is called red goose on the sea coast, arrives in 

 the Delaware from the north early in November, 

 usually in considerable flocks. They make but a 

 short stay on their first arrival, going further south ; 

 but, early in the spring, they are often very numer- 

 ous about Reedy Island. The snow goose is two 

 feet eight inches in length, and its wings are five feet 

 in extent. The bill of this bird is very curious, the 

 edges having each twenty-three indentations, or 

 strong teeth, on eacli side. The inside, or concavity, 

 of the upper mandible, has also seven rows of strong, 

 projecting teeth, and the tongue, which is horny at 

 the extremity, is armed on each side with thirteen 

 long and sharp bony teeth. The flesh of this species 

 is excellent. 



Laughing goose (A. albifrons). Body brownish ; 

 beneath white varied with black ; bill and feet 

 orange. This species inhabits the northern parts of 

 both continents, and migrates to the more temperate 

 climates during the winter, though it rarely comes 

 as far south as the Middle States or Italy. 



Bean goose (A. segetum). Dark cinereous ; be- 

 neath whitish ; folded wings longer than the tail; 

 bill long, black, and orange. This species is also 

 common to both continents ; in this country, it is 

 scarcely ever seen as far south as the Northern States, 

 though in Europe its migrations are more exten- 

 sive. 



Canada goose (A. Canadensis}. Dark ash-colour- 

 ed ; head, neck, and tail black ; cheeks and throat 

 white ; bill and feet black. This is the common 

 v/ild goose of the United States, and is known in 

 every part of the country. In their annual migra- 

 tions to the north, it is the general opinion that they 



are on their way to the lakes to breed ; but it is ob- 

 served by Wilson, from whom the following account 

 is condensed, that it is highly probable that they ex- 

 tend under the very pole itself, amid the silent deso- 

 lation of unknown countries, shut out from the prying 

 eye of man by everlasting and insuperable barriers of 

 ice. After having fulfilled the great law of nature, 

 the approaching rigours of that dreary climate oblige 

 them to return towards the more genial regions of 

 the south ; and no sooner do they arrive among men, 

 than an indiscriminate slaughter of them commences. 

 The people at Hudson's bay greatly depend on these 

 birds, and, in favourable seasons, kill three or four 

 thousand, which are packed up for future use. The 

 autumnal flight lasts from the middle of August to 

 November ; the vernal from the middle of April to 

 the middle of May. The flight of the wild goose is 

 heavy and laborious, generally in a straight line, or 

 thus > ; in both cases, an old gander always leads 

 the van. The wild goose has often been domesti- 

 cated, and it readily pairs with the common goose. 

 The wild goose, when in good order, weighs from ten 

 to twelve and some times fourteen pounds. 



A. leucopsis. Dark cinereous ; neck and tail 

 black ; face and beneath the breast white ; bill and 

 feet black. This species inhabits the arctic circle, 

 migrating during the winter to more temperate re- 

 gions ; it is but seldom found within the limits of the 

 United States. 



Brant (A. bernicla). Blackish ash-coloured ; the 

 head, neck, and breast black ; a white patch on 

 each side of the neck ; beneath whitish ; bill and 

 feet black. The brant generally weighs about four 

 pounds, and measures two feet hi length. It is often 

 seen in our markets for sale. Its flesh, although es- 

 teemed by many, tastes somewhat sedgy. It is very 

 common and numerous in the Middle States, during 

 its double passage, when great havoc is made among 

 its numbers. 



There are several other species, suoA aj the grey 

 goose (A. cinereus), dusky goose (A. rufescens), and 

 the A. medius. 



GOOSEBERRY (ribes uva crispa); alow, branch- 

 ing shrub, growing wild in Siberia and the north of 

 Europe. The branches are armed with numerous 

 prickles, and bear small rounded three to five lobed 

 leaves and inconspicuous flowers, The fruit, which 

 is wild and sweet, attains a larger size and higher 

 flavour in some of the cultivated varieties, which are 

 very numerous, and have particularly attracted the 

 attention of our gardeners. Several species of goose- 

 berry are indigenous to the northern and mountainous 

 parts of the United States of America, one of which 

 bears small purple berries of an agreeable flavour, 

 and is not unfrequently met with in their gardens. 



G OOSE-FOOT (chenopodium) is a genus of plants, 

 containing twenty-six species, most of them indigen- 

 ous to the temperate parts of the eastern continent. 

 They are, with a few exceptions, annual, bearing 

 alternate entire or dentate leaves, and small green- 

 ish flowers, which are disposed in axillary or terminal 

 racemes. The calyx is five-parted, the seed solitary 

 and lenticular ; there are five stamens, two styles, 

 and the corolla is wanting. Many of the species 

 grow abundantly in waste places tliroughout Europe, 

 and have been introduced into America, where they 

 are now common weeds in all cultivated grounds. 

 The leaves of some make a good substitute Tor spin- 

 age, and the young shoots are sometimes eaten us 

 asparagus. The C. quinoa of Chile is very celebrated 

 in tliat country, and is carefully cultivated both for 

 the leaves and seeds ; the latter of which are used 

 instead of millet, and, when mixed with it, yield an 

 agreeable kind of beer. The Spaniards have takeu 

 great pains to introduce this plant into Europe, (with 



