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less extent) are exceptions to nature's general rule, in this re- 

 spect, that when old, each individual varies in its markings on 

 the breast patches of black feathers, varying in size and shape, 

 and the markings on the two sides of the bird not corresponding, 

 being general. The Common Wild Goose has traces of the black 

 feathers only, whilst in the White-fronted every variation is 

 found, from approaching black, to few feathers only of that co- 

 lour. The Pink-footed Goose is, I believe, the species noticed 

 by Mr. Wright, or it may be the orange-legged one. These 

 two species are sometimes met with together. I have heard of 

 their having been killed from the same flock. Although they 

 are easily distinguished from each other when recently killed, in 

 preserved specimens, when the beaks and legs have faded, it is 

 difficult to distinguish them. In the pink-footed bird the neck 

 is shorter, it is generally greyer in colour, and the beaks when 

 fresh have an irregular-shaped spot of pink on a black ground 

 colour, the orange-legged bird having a similar shaped spot of 

 orange. The four species, although spreading themselves over 

 great tracts of country, are nevertheless local in their appear- 

 ance, flocks of certain species apparently stopping at particular 

 places during their migrations. All the species when young and 

 fat are good eating when not kept too long, but, like the rest of 

 waterfowl, they should be eaten fresh : if kept till the fat begins 

 to change colour and turn greenish, which it soon does, they get 

 a disagreeable oily taste, many persons erroneously imagining 

 this to arise from their feeding upon fish, which it is perhaps 

 hardly necessary to say geese do not. The Common Wild Goose 

 is an early breeder in a domesticated state, and has young before 

 ths pink-footed species departs to its breeding ground. From 

 its remaining so late we may almost conclude that it goes far 

 north, and breeds in morasses and swamps not earlier ready to 

 receive it. It sometimes remains till May, and in the middle of 

 April in some places it is found in great numbers. Some short 

 time since I made some remarks about the Common Wild Goose. 

 Many of your readers are doubtless aware of the different species ; 

 some may not be, and to those these remarks may be instructive. 



