AQUATTf FOWL. 148 



oious to introduce the Canadian goose, as a cross on our domestic 

 variety. 



THE BEAN GOOSE 



Is less than the gray-lag, the weight being only from five to 

 upwards of seven pounds ; length from two feet and a half to three 

 feet ; is a frequent winter visitor to all the British Isles, where 

 they find feeding in the pasture fields and early wheat. They 

 are known to breed in the Hebrides, and the northern counties of 

 Scotland, and are abundant in Ireland, in the winter. They have 

 bred in the collection of the Ornithological Society of London. 

 The length of this species is two feet seven inches ; the extent 

 four feet eleven ; the bill, which is the chief specific distinction, 

 between this and the gray-lag, is small, much compressed near 

 the end, whitish and sometimes pale red in the middle, and bluish 

 at the nail and end of the lower mandible ; the base (in the male) 

 is bounded by a narrow bed of white feathers, the head and neck 

 are cinerous brown, tinged with ferruginous ; the breast and belly 

 dirty white, clouded with cinerous ; the sides and scapulars dark- 

 ash colour, edged with white or rust colour ; the back the same ; 

 the coverts of the tail white ; the lesser coverts of the wings light 

 gray, nearly white, the middle of a deeper gray, tipt with white ; 

 the primaries and secondaries gray, tipt with black ; the feet and 

 legs saffron colour, the claws black. 



During the day, the flocks resort to the upland grounds and 

 open lands, feeding on the tender wheat, and also upon clover and 

 other herbage. In the early part of the spring they visit the 

 fields, newly sown with beans and peas, and greedily devour as 

 much as they find scattered about, or can dislodge. On the 

 approach of evening they retire to the water, or some bar of sand, 

 at a little distance from the shore, where they have a free range 

 of vision all around, and no enemy can steal, unobserved upon 

 them. They are extremely watchful and vigilant, and it is only by 

 stratagem that the sportsman can come upon them within gunshot. 

 The best plan is to lie in wait for them where they make their 

 early morning visit to the feeding-grounds, which they habitually 

 frequent. 



THE EGYPTIAN OR CAPE GOOSE, 



Is easily kept and reared in confinement ; has been frequently 

 shot in the vicinity of artificial waters, and is supposed to have 



