162 



OUR DOMESTIC BIRDS 



In Russia gander fighting was from very ancient times a 

 popular sport, and several varieties of geese were bred especially 

 for their fighting qualities. The most common of these is the 

 Tula Goose, which is usually gray in color but is sometimes clay- 

 colored. The latter point is very interesting for its bearing on 

 the question of the common origin of the European and Asiatic 



FIG. 143. White China Geese. (Photograph from Charles McClave, 

 New London, Ohio) 



breeds of geese, to be discussed in the next paragraph. None 

 of the Russian races of geese are known in this country. 



The Asiatic races of geese probably came to America as early 

 as the Asiatic races of fowls. They were early known in England 

 under a variety of names, and were quite popular there over a 

 hundred years ago as Spanish Geese. A writer in an agricultural 

 paper in 1848 stated that he had seen White China Geese in 



