276 



of 



twenty-three indentations, or strong teeth, 

 on each side : the inside or concavity of the 

 upper mandible has also seven rows of 



SNOW OOOSF. (ASTSER HYPERBOREU 



strong projecting teeth ; and the tongue, 

 which is horny at the extremity, is armed 

 on each side with thirteen long and sharp 

 bony teeth. The upper mandible of the 

 beak is bright red, the lower whitish ; the 

 hooks of both blue. The head, neck, and 

 body are pure white : the quills are white 

 for half their length, the rest black : the 

 legs are of a very deep red. These birds 

 inhabit the regions of the arctic circle, occa- 

 sionally migrating to the more temperate 

 climates of Prussia, Austria, Hudson's Bay, 

 and the United States of America. They 

 arrive in the River Delaware from the north 

 early in November, sometimes in consider- 

 able flocks, and are very noisy : their note 

 is more shrill than that of the Canada Goose. 

 They make but a short stay in winter, pro- 

 ceeding farther south as the severity of the 

 weather increases ; and early in the spring 

 they retire to the polar regions, to perform 

 the duties of incubation and rearing their 

 young. Their flesh is esteemed excellent ; 

 and in Siberia they form an essential article 

 of subsistence to the natives, each family, it 

 is said, preserving thousands annually. 



The method adopted by the Siberians to 

 obtain these Geese is highly curious. Ac- 

 cording to Pennant's account, they place 

 near the banks of the rivers a great net in a 

 straight line, or else form a hovel of skins 

 sewed together : this done, one of the com- 

 pany dresses himself in the skin of a white 

 rein-deer, advances towards the flock of 

 Geese, and then turns backwards (on all 

 fours) the net or hovel : and his companions 

 go beliind the flock, and, by making a noise 

 drive them forwards. The simple birds 

 mistake the man in white for their leader, 

 and follow him within reach of the net, 

 which is suddenly pulled down, and thus 

 captures the whole. When he chooses to 

 conduct them even into the hovel, they fol- 

 low in the same manner ; he creeps in at a 

 hole left for that purpose, and out at another 

 on the opposite side, which he closes up. 

 The Geese follow him through the first ; 



and as soon as they are in, he passes round 

 and secures every one of them. 



The CANADA GOOSE, or CRAVAT GOOSE. 

 (Anser Canadensis.) This is the common 

 Wild Goose of the United States, and is 

 known in every part of the country. It usu- 

 ally weighs about ten pounds. The general 

 colour is a dark ash ; head, neck, and tail 

 black ; cheeks and throat white ; bill and 

 feet black. In their annual migrations 

 to the north, it is the general opinion that 

 they are on their way to the lakes to breed ; \ 

 but, as Wilson observes, it is highly probable : 

 that they extend to the utmost polar point, ' 

 amid the silent desolation of unknown coun- 

 tries, shut out from the prying eye of man , 

 by everlasting and insuperable barrriers of . 

 ice. After having fulfilled the great law ! 

 of nature, the approaching rigours of that | 

 dreary climate oblige them to return to- | 

 wards the more genial regions of the south ; 

 and no sooner do they arrive among men, 

 than an indiscriminate slaughter of them 

 commences. The people at Hudson's Bay 

 greatly depend on these birds, and, in favour- 

 able seasons, kill three or four thousand, 

 which are packed up for future use. The 

 autumnal flight lasts from the middle of 

 August to November ; the vernal from the 

 middle of April to the middle of May. Their 

 mode of flying, the van being headed by an 

 experienced old Gander, resembles that of 

 the common Wild Goose before described. 

 The Canada Goose generally builds its nest 

 on the ground ; but some pairs occasionally 

 breed on the banks of large rivers on trees, 

 depositing their eggs in the deserted nests of 

 ravens or fishing-eagles. The eggs, six or 

 seven in number, are of a greenish white. 

 The bird has been long domiciled in this 

 country, where it breeds freely, and is a 

 great ornament. 



That most entertaining naturalist, Mr. 

 Waterton, thus speaks of the Canada or 

 Cravat Goose. " The fine proportions of this 

 stately foreigner, its voice, and flavour of its 

 flesh, are strong inducements for us all to 

 hope that, ere long, it will become a natu~ i 

 ralised bird throughout the whole of Great 

 Britain. I stop not to give a detailed de- 

 scription of its plumage ; that has already 

 been performed by many able hands. Suffice 

 it then to say, that its beautiful black neck 

 and white cheeks render it so particularly 

 conspicuous, that those who have seen it . 



