8 



BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



would not indicate relationship to Anser albifrons, as I 

 have shown already that the wild grey lag occasionally 

 exhibits this feature in a very decided manner.* It is 

 further stated by Yarrell, in support of his belief in 

 their double origin, that on examining the trachea in our 

 domestic geese he has found "the tube of the wind pipe 

 nearly cylindrical" in some, after the manner of the grey 

 lag goose, whilst in others e ( the tube has been flattened 

 at the lower portion, a character which is constant in 

 Anser albifrons." The wild grey lag has been known to 

 pair readily with the domestic bird, and in one instance, as 

 stated by Yarrell, a male attached himself to a domestic 

 goose in preference to either bean or white-fronted 

 geese associated with it. Mr. Hamond, of Westacre, 

 has also had the young of this species, taken wild in 

 the north of Scotland, within the last few years, some 

 of -which he presented to Colonel Petre of Westwick, 

 and the male birds have crossed both at Bawdsey and 

 Westacre, with domestic geese. In looking over a num- 

 ber of tame geese upon our village greens and commons, 

 I have frequently remarked amongst the grey birds the 

 marked resemblance in form and plumage even in the 

 grey wing-coverts, flesh-coloured bill and feet, and white 

 nail to the true Anser ferus, but the large predomi- 

 nance of white or partially white birds is the result no 

 doubt of selection in breeding, the white quills and 

 down fetching the highest price. Mr. J. H. Gurney 

 informs me that some thirty years ago, when he had 

 frequent occasion to travel by road in Marsh-land and 

 South Lincolnshire, he was constantly struck with the 

 much larger proportion of whole coloured brownish- 



* On this point, also, Mr. Darwin remarks, " we must not over- 

 look the law of analagous variation; that is, of one species assuming 

 some of the characters of allied species." "Animals and Plants 

 under Domestication," i., p. 288. 



