GOOSE. 



661 



white; and there is awhile spot occupying the space 

 between the bill and the eyes with a black stripe be- 

 neath it, and is bounded above, on each side of the 

 head, by a black line which falls down the hinder 

 part of the neck towards the back; the chin, throat, 

 and crown of the head are also black. Two stripes 

 of white fall down from behind each eye, on the sides 

 of the neck, and meet in the middle ; the other parts 

 of the neck and the upper part of the breast deep 

 rusty red, and the latter terminated by two narrow 

 bands of white and black. The back and wings are 

 dusky ; the greater coverts edged with grey ; sides 

 and lower part of the breast black ; belly, upper and 

 under tail-coverts white ; legs dusky. 



So far as is known, this species of goose belongs 

 only to the eastern portion of those Arctic regions in 

 which this genus of animals have their principal abode, 

 at least we have no distinct account of their occur- 

 rence in America. The very few specimens which 

 have hitherto been found in the British islands have 

 been met with on the eastern side, and in the south- 

 ern parts rather than in the northern. This is of 

 itself sufficient evidence that the birds do not come 

 to America, or from the polar regions of western 

 Europe, but that they find their way across the low 

 countries to the southward of the Baltic. 



Red-Breasted Goose. 



THE EGYPTIAN GOOSE (A. Egyptica). This also 

 is a very beautiful species, resembling in its general 

 form and characters the bernacle and brent geese, 

 though its colours are more brilliant and the turn of 

 the wing is furnished with a small spur. It has been 

 long known in Egypt, and in ancient times it was 

 much venerated in that country on account of the 

 attachment which it has for its young. The ancient 

 Egyptians style it the fox goose, but it is not easy to 

 say for what reason. It has no character in common 

 with any species of fox ; and though foxes are par- 

 ticularly fond of all species of geese, it does not ap- 

 pear that they have any more partiality for this one 

 than the rest. It is understood to be rather discursive, 

 and on that account it is with difficulty retained in 

 a domesticated state. It also suffers more from severe 

 cold than any of those species which are natives of 

 the north ; and hence we may conclude that it does 

 not in any of its migrations reach the cold latitudes. 

 The length of this species is two feet two inches and 

 five-eights; breadth four feet four inches; weight six 

 pounds. The bill is of a reddish colour, and, includ- 

 ing a protuberance on the base of the upper mandible, 

 is two inches in length; the nail black, nostrils dusky, 

 irides pale yellow; a dark reddish chestnut patch 

 surrounds the eyes and the base of the bill ; the 



crown of tfie head and the cheeks are of a dull dirty 

 white, mixed with indistinct spots of rusty brown"; 

 the rest of the head, from the nape downwards over 

 the whole neck, is of a dingy chestnut mixed and 

 tipped with a lighter colour. There is a reddish 

 chestnut patch on the breast, the upper part of which, 

 with the shoulders, scapulars, and sides, are pale 

 brownish yellow, beautifully marked or pencilled with 

 dusky waved lines ; the lower part is less distinctly 

 marked, and appears of an ash grey colour; the belly 

 white, as also are the wing-coverts ; the greater ones 

 are crossed or barred with a black line about half an 

 inch from their tips. The secondary quills are clear 

 reddish chestnut ; those of the primaries which join 

 them forming the speculum, which in varied lights 

 are either of a resplendent green or purple; the rest 

 of the first quills, the back, and tail are black ; the 

 under coverts of the latter pale chestnut ; the legs 

 are long, and, as well as the webs, are of a pale flesh- 

 colour ; nails black. 



The information which we have with regard to the 

 Egyptian goose in a state of wild nature, is not very 

 clear or satisfactory ; but the general assertion is that 

 it ranges in Southern Africa, nearly as far as the Cape. 

 If this is correct, it is an instance of a migratory 

 goose performing all its movements in warm latitudes, 

 and being driven both ways by heat and drought, and 

 never by cold. The rains, in different parts of Africa, 

 occur at different seasons, and as, though the rains are 

 in general heavy when they do come, the drought is 

 so severe and continued, as to burn up the vegetation 

 and dry up the water, such aquatic birds as perform 

 their migrations wholly within that continent, must of 

 course move on y northwards and southwards. 



MADAGASCAR GOOSE (A. Madagascariensis). This 

 is one of the southern geese, and is a very beautiful 

 bird. The upper parts are blackish with rich green 

 reflections, and there is a large spot of bright sea 

 green colour, surrounded with a black margin, upon 

 each side of the neck ; the forehead, the cheeks, the 

 throat, and the under parts are pure white ; the lower 

 part of the neck and the flanks mottled with russet 

 and brown ; the upper mandible is yellowish ; and 

 the under one and also the feet are black. This dif- 

 ference of colour in the two mandibles, is a very de- 

 cided external mark of distinction in this species from 

 all the rest of the genus. The length of the male 

 bird is nearly three feet and a half ; the female is 

 smaller, and the green spots on the neck are obscure 

 or wholly wanting, while the upper part of the body 

 is mottled with grey and brown, and the under part 

 is pale greyish. The young resemble the female. 



JAVA GOOSE (A. Javaneiisis). This is also a very 

 handsome species, wholly tropical in its locality, 

 though not confined to the island of Java, but occur- 

 ring in the other islands of the Sunda group, and also 

 in continental India; but, as is the case with many 

 other animals which are common to these localities, 

 its appearance varies in the different places. The 

 upper part of this species is black, with very rich and 

 brilliant reflections of green ; the forehead and top of 

 the head are blackish brown ; the neck and the under 

 part are white, lightly spotted with greyish ; and 

 there is a broad and well defined gorget of black on 

 the lower part of the breast ; the scapular feathers, 

 the flanks and the rump, are finely rayed with black ; 

 the quills and tail-feathers are dusky, with a large 

 black spot on the point of the former : the lower tail- 

 coverts are white crossed by u baud of black. This 



