' OF THE DUCK AND ITS VARIETIES. 129 ^ 



The Brent Goofc is dill lefs. The head, neck, and upper part of the 

 breaft black ; about the middle of the neck, on each fide, are two 

 fmall fpots or lines of white, which together appear like a ring. 



Thefe, and many -other varieties, are found in this kind. The tame 

 goofe is the moft prolific, having lefs to fear, leading a fccurcr and 

 more plentiful life : the wild goofe feldom lays above eight cgf^s, the 

 tame often above twenty. The female hatches with great affiduity ; the 

 gander vifits her twice or thrice a day, and fometimes drives her off to 

 take her place, where he fits with great ftate and compcfure. But be- 

 yond that of all animals is his pride when the young are excluded : he 

 feems then to confider himfelf as a champion, not only obliged to de- 

 fend his young, but alfo to keep off the fufpicion of danger ; he purfues 

 dogs and men that never attempt to moleft him ; and, though the mofi: 

 harmlefs thing alive, is then the moft petulant and provoking. 



Of goofe-feathers moft of our beds in Europe are compofed. Great 

 numbers ofgeefe are kept tame in the fens in Lincolnfiiire, and are 

 plucked once or twice a year. The down of the fwan is brought from 

 Dantzic. The fame place alfo fends us great quantities of the feathers of 

 the cock and hen ; but Greenland, Iceland, and Norway, furnilh the 

 beft feathers of all ; and in this number we may reckon the Eider 

 down. 



Of the duck and its varieties. 



TH E tame Duck is the moft eafily reared of all our domeftic anir 

 mals. The inftinfls of the young diredl them to their favourite 

 clement i and though condu6led by a hen, they defpile her clam.orous 

 admonitions. The duck feems to be an heedlefs, inattentive mother; 

 fhe trequently leaves her eggs till they fpoil j is equally regardlefs of 

 her young; llie leads them to the pond, and thinks ftie has fufiicienily 

 provided for her ofi^spring when fhe has fhewn them the wate*^. 



The wild duck differs, in many refpecls, from the tame j and in them 

 there is Hill greater variety than among the domeftic kinds. Of the rame 

 duck there are not Icfs than ten different forts; and of the wild, Brilfon 

 • reckons 



