258 THE EGYPTIAN GOOSE. CHAP, xm 



wild goose ; Head, brown and grey mixed ; Back, 

 rich brown, lightish ; Breast and neck, grey ; Tail, 

 dark or black ; Tips of Wings, ditto, and glossy ; 

 Legs and Bill, reddish ; a dark ring round the neck, 

 and a dark spot right on the centre of the breast. 

 He was nibbling the tender grass on the dam banks. 

 I then approached nearer. Instead of flying, he 

 merely swam away to the other side of the pond, and 

 seemed either very tired or else accustomed to the 

 presence of man. I was quite within shot of him, 

 but, from his tameness, I conjectured that he was 

 some fancy animal escaped from a gentleman's 

 demesne. I then went for some corn, and scattered 

 it on the banks, and as soon as I moved away he 

 came to eat it. When startled, he generally makes 

 a circuit of a quarter of a mile and returns again ; 

 but latterly he goes to the loch of Strathbeg all night 

 and returns in the morning for his corn. I am 

 afraid he will not be spared long, although I have 

 sent word in several directions that he is not to be 

 shot. I should be glad if he would become domesti- 

 cated. I wish you would look over some of your 

 books and tell me what he is. I have not seen a 

 bird of the same kind before." 



From Mr. Boyd's minute description of the bird, 

 Edward was enabled to inform him that it could be 

 nothing else than a specimen of that rare species, the 

 Egyptian Goose. After about two months' sojourn 

 in Mr. Boyd's mill-pond, the bird flew away on the 



