SPUR-WINGED GOOSE. 183 



upper part of the head and neck are dingy brown ; the 

 auriculars and sides of the throat are white, spotted with 

 brown ; the lower part of the neck, sides of the breast, 

 and all the upper plumage, appear black, but this colour 

 is lost, particularly in the scapulars and tertials, which are 

 most resplendently bronzed and glossed with brilliant 

 green, *and most of the outer webs of the other feathers 

 partake of the same hue ; on the bend of the wing or 

 wrist, is placed a strong white horny spur, about five- 

 eighths of an inch in length, turning upwards, and rather 

 inwards ; the whole of the edges of the wing from the 

 alula spuria to the elbow and shoulder are white, all the 

 under parts the same. This beautiful bird is nearly of the 

 bulk of the Wild Goose, but its legs and toes are some- 

 what longer, and of a red or orange yellow." 



To give the actual appearance of the British-killed spe- 

 cimen, our figure is taken from Mr. Bewick's work. 



This species is a native of northern and western Africa, 

 but its habits are unknown. A male in the collection of 

 the Dublin Zoological Society paired with an Egyptian 

 Goose, as already mentioned. 



A male specimen died in the gardens of the Zoological 

 Society, after living there in confinement nearly twelve 

 years. Advantage was taken of this opportunity to ex- 

 amine the organ of voice, generally found to possess some 

 remarkable variety in form and structure throughout most 

 of the species of this extensive family ; and the expecta- 

 tion was fully realised. By permission of the council of 

 the Zoological Society, I am enabled to publish the fol- 

 lowing description and figures. 



The windpipe of the Spur-winged Goose is about six- 

 teen inches long, the tube flattened throughout the greater 

 part of its length, but cylindrical at the bottom. The 

 vignette represents the lower portion of the windpipe in 



