THE WHITE, CHINA GOOSE. 233 



ate trials of each of the pair with the common goose 

 and gander have been made by him unsuccessfully, 

 although the white, China goose lays four times in the 

 year. Another gentleman, who also had a pair of the 

 same lot, from China, says, "I had one good brood 

 from the young pair which I kept, but since that, they 

 have bred so badly that I have parted with the females 

 and kept a male bird, and now get very good broods. 

 My friends, to whom I have given young birds from 

 my pair, also complain. The geese sit remarkably 

 well, never showing themselves out of the nest by day, 

 but whether they may leave the nests too long in the 

 cold of the night, I cannot tell. The time of incuba- 

 tion I consider to be about four weeks and three days. 

 The young birds of the crossed breed, in appearance, 

 follow the mother, the common English goose, but 

 they do remarkably well." 



