AQUATIC FOWL. 147 



off into the sea, and took wing ; others affirm that they are pro- 

 duced in the form of worms, in the substance of old trees, or 

 timber floating in the sea. 



We need not suppose that there were none who doubted this 

 marvel. Belan, who wrote in 1550, and others, treated it with 

 ridicule; and in Bay's " Willoughby," published in 1678, we 

 find a refutation of it, only with an admission of spontaneous 

 generation, among certain animals, of the lower order. 



Its weight is about four pounds. The bill is black, with a 

 reddish streak on each side ; the cheeks and throat, with the 

 exception of a black line from the eye to the beak, white ; head, 

 neck, and shoulders, black ; upper plumage marbled with blue, 

 gray, black, and white ; tail black, under parts white ; legs dusky. 

 They are a maratime species, and seldom found inland, and in 

 some seasons are so abundant in the north of Ireland as to darken 

 the atmosphere, when removing from their quarters. 



THE BRENT GOOSE, 



Although of entirely different shape, standing, colour, size, and 

 appearance, from the preceding, has been frequently confounded 

 with it. It is much smaller than the Bernicle goose, stands low 

 on the tarsi ; the head, neck, and upper part of the breast, are 

 dull black; on the sides of the neck, an interrupted patch of 

 white ; back, scapulars, rump, and under parts, anterior to the 

 legs, clove-brown, paler on the latter, each feather having the 

 tips and margins of a -lighter shade; flank feathers tipped with 

 white ; vent, upper and under tail coverts, the latter exceeding 

 the tail in length, pure white ; tail, clove-brown ; quills and 

 secondaries blackish brown ; bill, legs, and feet black. The sexes 

 do not vary much in plumage. 



It is a winter visitant, and most abundant on the eastern coast 

 of England, and southern and eastern coast of Ireland. During 

 ebb tide, they feed on marine plants. They are particularly wary. 

 Colonel Hawker and other sportsmen, say, that night is the best 

 time to shoot them, by lying in wait in the line of the flight, or 

 by coasting in a punt. In Ireland, they furnish a considerable 

 quantity of night shooting. 



The geographical range of the Brent goose is northward. We 

 have it in Shetland, and in northern Europe, Iceland, Hudson's 

 Bay, Greenland, and Nova Zembla, where it is said to breed. 



