54 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



[Geesb. 



2006, 2007.— Thb Cubopsis Goose 



(Cereoptit Nota HoUandia). This heautiful bird 

 decidedly rornu the type of a distinct genus, of 

 which, however, it is the only known species. 

 Accordine to some naturalists it evinces a certain 

 decree ol approximation towards the Ardeidte 

 (Herons), a point on which we are by no means 

 Mtisfied, for ihoutrh less completely orf^nized for 

 (wiromini; and diving than many of the Anatidie, 

 still neither in food nor in habits, nor in the essen- 

 tial points of its anatomy, does it resemble the 

 herons. Tlie fact is that the theory of circles or 

 given groups inosculating by means of intermediate 

 forms stands on a frail basis. The cereopsis ex- 

 hibits the leading characters which distinguish the 

 geese from the ducks, carried out still more de- 

 cidedly. The beak is shorter, the legs longer, and 

 the feet less webbed than in mos^ geese : we may 

 add to this that the bill is elevated, obtuse, and 

 covered, except at the tip, with a cere, or mem- 

 brane, on which are the nostrils. The legs are 

 bare of leathers a little way above the tarsal joint ; 

 the nails are strong, and the wings ample. Refer 

 to Bill of Cereopsis, Fig. 2004. 



The cereopsis is a native of New Holland ; and 

 though most voyagers who have visited the distant 

 shores on which it abounds have alluded to it as a 

 species of swan, or as a. goose, it is only within the 

 last few years that naturalists at home have gained 

 an accurate knowledge of its true characters and its 

 natural affinities. The first introduction of the cere- 

 opsis into the records of science was by Dr. Latham 

 in the year 1802. He published at that time a figure 

 and description of the bird in question in the second 

 supplement to his ' General Synopsis,' regarding it as 

 the type of a new genus among the waders, and to 

 this genus he gave the title of Cereopsis, the specific 

 designation of the bird, of which indeed he had seen 

 only one example, being Cereopsis Novae Hol- 

 landiae. The terra cereopsis contains an allusion to 

 the large cere covering the base of the bill, but 

 which Dr. Latham, misled by an apparently im- 

 perfect specimen, supposed to be extended on the 

 forehead and face ; as it is, however, the cere is so 

 extensive as to justify the title. Subsequently to the 

 publication above alluded to, Dr. Latham had the 

 opportunity of examining another specimen, from 

 which he took the description published in his 

 ' General History," vol. ix. p. 432, where he corrects 

 his former views with regard to the extent of the cere, 

 but with an assurance, in a foot-note, that in the 

 specimen first seen the cere extended far beyond the 

 eyes. Still, strange to say, he retained the cereopsis 

 among the wading birds, observing, " Mrs. Lewin 

 informs me that it is in sufficient plenty in some 

 parts of New Holland, and, from its being so about 

 Cape Barren, has obtained the name of Cape Barren 

 Goose. It certainly at first sight appears not unlike 

 that bird, but in the bill it entirely differs from any 

 of the genus, and the legs are bare a great way 

 above the joint, although it must be owned that the 

 feet, having a considerable membrane between the 

 toes, would otherwise bring it to class with the 

 web-footed." Mrs. Lewin adds, " that it becomes 

 very tame and familiar, so as to be domesticated 

 with our common goose, and that the flesh is well fla- 

 voured." On the Continent, where, until Temminck 

 figured it in his Planches Colonees as appertaining 

 to the swimming birds, it did not appear to be 

 known, it was regarded, on the authority of Latham, 

 as a wader. After Temminck, it was also figured 

 by Vieillot as a swimming bird; but the figure, 

 although sufiiciently characteristic, is in one point 

 erroneous, inasmuch as it gives the cere extending 

 over the top of the head. In 1831 Mr. Bennett de- 

 scribed and figured the cereopsis in the 'Gardens 

 and Menagerie, &c., delineated ;' his figure, which 

 is very accurate and characteristic, being taken 

 from a specimen in the Gardens of the Zoological 

 Society, the Society having, at that time, eight living 

 individuals. These, as he observed, then exceeded 

 "in number all the stuffed specimens that exist in 

 public collections in Europe, the latter, so far as we 

 are aware, being limited to one in the British, one in 

 the Paris, and one in the Berlin Museums." Two 

 specimens of adults, and one or two of young indi- 

 viduals, are in the Museum of the Zoological So- 

 ciety. 



Though Vieillot fieured the cereopsis, he appears 

 not to have suspected its identity with a bird pre- 

 viously described by hira in the ' Nouveau Diction- 

 naire d'Histoire Naturelle ' as the Cygne andrf, from 

 the characters detailed by M. Labillardiore (see his 

 account of the voyage of D'Entrecasteaux in 1792), 

 " who mentions the occurrence, in Esperance Bay, 

 on the south coast of New Holland, of a new species 

 of swan, rather smaller than the wild swan, of an 

 ashy grey colour, -somewhat lighter beneath, with a 

 blackish bill, covered at the base by a tumid brim- 

 stone-coloured cere, and legs slightly tinged with 

 red.' By waj", however, of confusing the species 

 still further, %r Vieillot described a specimen brought 



home by M. Labillardi6re from Van Diemen's Land, 

 and deposited it in the Paris Museum, as a species of 

 goose, under the title of Anser griseus. J) Entre- 

 casteaux informs us that Uiche, one of the natural- 

 ists attached to his expedition, had described the 

 bii-d under the title of Anas Teme Leeuwin. 



The habits of the cereopis, in a state of nature, 

 have been succinctly detailed by various voyagers. 

 Most probably it is migratory, at least to a certain 

 ; extent ; for Captain Flinders found it more abundant 

 on Goose Island in some seasons than in others. It 

 frequents grassy districts and the shore, but rarely 

 takes to the water, its food being exclusively grass. 

 Both at Lucky Bay and Goose Island these birds 

 were very abundant, and so tame that the crew of 

 Captain Flinders had no difficulty in knocking them 

 down with sticks, or even in taking them alive. M. 

 Bailly reports to the same eff'ect respecting those 

 seen by him at Preservatiou Island ; and Labillar- 

 diere says, that at first they were so little alarmed 

 by the presence of man, as to suft'er themselves to 

 be taken by the hand ; but in a short time they be- 

 came aware of their danger, and took to flight on 

 the approach of any one. All agree as to the 

 delicacy of its flesh. From the ease with which 

 the cereopsis becomes domesticated, we are not 

 without hope of seeing this bird added to the list 

 of those which enliven our farmyards, and contri- 

 bute to the luxuries of our table. It breeds freely 

 in our climate, and feeds like the common goose, 

 but is even more familiar, and requires only ordi- 

 nary attention. Its voice is deep, hoarse, and clans- 

 ing. In size, this species equals the common goose. 

 The top of the head is pale grey ; the rest of the 

 plumage slate-grey, each feather on the back and 

 shoulders being margined with a paler tint, while 

 the greater coverts and the secondary quill-feathers 

 have a round dusky spot near the extremity ; the 

 quills and tail-feathers dusky black ; tip of the bill 

 black ; cere yellow ; tarsi orange-yellow ; toes and 

 webs black. 



Fig. 2007 represents a pair of these birds with 

 their young. 



When in charge of their young the adults are 

 very pugnacious, driving other birds to a distance 

 with great spirit ; and even at other times this jea- 

 lousy of their companions in captivity is but little 

 abated, as we have remarked in the specimens at 

 the Gardens. The black swan from New Holland 

 displays a similar spirit, and will not endure the ap- 

 proach of its snow-white relative ; indeed, we know 

 of instances in which white swans have not only 

 been seriously injured, but even killed by their dusky 

 rivals. 



Fig. 2008 is the Copy of an Egyptian painting in 

 the British Museum, of great interest notwithstand- I 

 ing its mutilation. It is divided into two compart- 

 ments. In the upper "on the left is a figure 

 squatted, probably the farmer or some superinten- 

 dent, and two figures approaching it. Another, 

 with his back turned towards them, is feeding a 

 flock of geese, all of which have red legs and beaks, 

 but in other parts of their bodies there are varieties 

 of colouring." The lower compartment represents 

 on the lett hand a person apparently making an 

 offering, but this is doubtful. " Behind this figure 

 is a man who holds a goose by the wings, as is often 

 done now ; he is going to put it into a basket, of 

 which we see five ; one above another, each with a 

 goose or more in it." Behind this figure is a flock 

 of geese, with a driver amongst them, holding in his 

 hand a long rod, paioted red. At the right ex- 

 tremity are a couple of geese, and a flock of gos- 

 lings represented with great fidelity. " There must 

 have been a great demand for geese in Egypt, as 

 they appear to have been a common article of food. 

 The priests were not allowed to eat fish, but were 

 recompensed for this privation by a plentiful supply 

 of beef and goose." The geese represented appear 

 to us to be of the ordinary domestic race. 



Fig. 2009 represents an ornamental Pond in an 

 Egyptian garden, with a border of flowers around 

 it, encircled by fruit-trees ; in the pond are lotus 

 flowers, as well as fish, ducks, and geese (perhaps 

 chenalopex), with their goslings ; all probably kept 

 for plelisure ; for it would appear, as this and 

 other paintings prove, that the Egyptain gardens 

 were not only laid out with all the stiffness and 

 formality of an old Dutch garden, but carefully cul- 

 tivated and adorned. 



Fig. 2010 represents, in the centre, a table on 

 which we see a goose that has been killed, and 

 plucked, excepting the head, &c., and, but that the 

 legs and part of the wings are cut off, much resem- 

 bling those with which the shops of the London poul- 

 terers are so plentifully stored at Michaelmas. There 

 is also the shoulder of a sheep or calf, and flowers 

 and fmits are ranged around. 



From the Geese we pass on to the Mergansers 

 (goosander, smew), in which we find the beak 

 straight, narrow, and comparatively slender ; sub- 

 'cylindrical anteriorly, abruptly hooked at the tip, 

 and with the margins of both mandibles armed 



with sharp serrations, or tooth-like processes di- 

 rected backwards, and well calculated for holding 

 slippery prey, as fishes, &c. ; the tongue is slender. 

 The feet are large and fully webbed ; the hind toe 

 is placed rather high on the tarsus and lobated. 

 The limbs are placed behind the point of equili- 

 brium. Fig 201 1 represents the Bill of Merganser. 

 Fig. 2012, the Foot. 



The Mergansers are completely aquatic in their 

 habits, and dive, either in order to evade pursuit, or 

 in chace of their finny prey, with astonishing ease 

 and rapidity. While swimming, they appear as if 

 deeply sunk in the water, owing to the remarkable 

 flatness of the body. Their flight is strong and 

 vigorous, but on land their actions are embarrassed. 

 Natives of the colder latitudes, they are migratory 

 in their habit^i, passing southwards on the approach 

 of winter. Three species visit our coasts, and the 

 mouths of our larger rivers, as also those of the 

 warmer and temperate parts of the Continent. In 

 their habits these birds are extremely shy and wary, 

 and appear to be incapable of domestication. Their 

 flesh IS rank and disgusting. The young birds of 

 both sexes resemble the female parent in plumage, 

 which is very different in colouring from that of the 

 male, whose livery is rich and variegated. The species 

 are not numerous. 



2013. — The Goosandbr. 

 (Mergus Merganser). Le Harle of the French ; 

 Garsen-siiger and Taucher-gans of the Germans; 

 Mergo, Oca marina, and Mergo dominicano of the 

 Italians. It is also the Sugherone of the Italians ; 

 the Meer-rack and See-rack ofthe Germans; Hwyad 

 ddanhedog of the ancient British ; Bieure of the 

 old French ; Dundiver, Sawbill, Jacksaw, &c., pro- 

 vincial English. 



This fine species is a native of the high northern 

 regions of Europe, Asia, and America, where amidst 

 morasses along a dreary coast it makes its nest and 

 rears its brood. It has been seen in Japan. Mr. 

 Selby states that in the northern parts of Scotland, 

 the Orkneys, and other adjacent islands it is a per- 

 manent resident, finding subsistence throughout the 

 year either on the fresh-water lakes of the interior, 

 or, when these are frozen, in the deep indentations of 

 the coast, formed by the saline lochs so numerous 

 in that part of the kingdom. In the south of 

 England, excepting during very severe winters, it is 

 rarely seen, but then in small parties of seven or 

 eight ; in Holland and Germany, however, where 

 extensive inland fresh waters abound, it is tolera- 

 bly common. It is much more rare in Italy. Dr. 

 Richardson observes that this species merely winters 

 in Pennsylvania, where it is not abundant, and re- 

 turns to the fur countries to breed. It is found in 

 Iceland, Greenland, Siberia, Kamtschatka, &-c. The 

 goosander, excepting when on the wing, is generally 

 seen on the water, where it is completely at home ; 

 diving in pursuit of fish, which when seized are se- 

 curely held in its serrated bill. It has the power of 

 remaining submerged for a long time ; and its sub- 

 aquatic progress is surprisingly rapid. The nest of 

 this species is placed near the edge of the water, and 

 consists of grass, roots, and fibres, with a lining, of 

 down. It is sometimes concealed among stones, 

 sometimes in long tufted herbage, and sometimes 

 even in the hollow stumps of decayed trees. The 

 eggs, twelve or fourteen in number, are of a cream- 

 yellow. 



The old male goosander in full plumage is a beau- 

 tiful bird, and has the head thickly tufted, this and 

 part of the neck being greenish black, the reflection 

 varying in different lights ; lower part of the neck, 

 breast, under parts, coverts of the wings and scapu- 

 lars farthest from the body, tinged of a yellow- 

 ish rose-colour (which soon fades in stuffed speci- 

 mens to white) ; upper part of the back and scapu- 

 lars nearest to the body deep black ; quills blackish, 

 great coverts bordered with black ; rest of the back 

 and tail ash-coloured ; beauty-spot on the wing 

 white, without transverse bands ; bill deep red, 

 black above and on the terminal nail ; iris reddish 

 brown, sometimes red : feet vermilion red. Length 

 twenty-six to twenty-eight inches. (Temm.) 



The lower figure is the male, the upper the fe- 

 male. 



The trachea of the male has two enlargements 

 while running down the neck, and a large bulla at 

 the bifurcation in the chest. 



2014.— The Smew 



(Mergus albellus). Le petit Harle huppd, ou la 

 Piette of Buffbii ; Weisser-siiger and Kreutz-ente of 

 the Germans. Merga oca, minore, and cenerino, of 

 the Italians; Lleian-wen of the ancient British; 

 White Nun, Vare Widgeon, and Smee, provincial 

 English. 



Like the preceding species, this bird is a native of 

 the arctic regions of both worlds, whence if migrates 

 southwards m autumn, and in severe wintei-s is not 

 uncommon on our eastern coasts, about the mouths 

 of our rivers, and in the fenny districts. It is rfr. 



