GEESE. 201 



cotton nightcap ready to put on before he begins crawl- 

 ing after them ; or to a certainty they will catch sight 

 of his head, and be off. 



[EGYPTIAN GOOSE, GANSEK, or GAMBO goose. Anas Mgyp- 

 tiaca L'oie d'Egypte. 



Two of these birds appeared some years ago in Nor- 

 folk, one of which was killed by John Ponton, Esq., and 

 the other by his keeper. Three Egyptian geese were, 

 for some days, in the winter of 1823, in the fields of 

 Longparish, and after being fired at about ten times, 

 the old gander was killed by one of the labourers. I was 

 informed that they were at first so easy of access, that 

 I then concluded they must have taken flight from some 

 gentleman's pond. The next year again, during the 

 tremendous gales from the ivest, a flock of about eighty ! 

 appeared near the same place, and two more were killed, 

 and sent me, by the same man. I have, therefore, no 

 doubt of their importation, instead of migration, to this 

 country. I suppose these birds were, till of late years, 

 very scarce, as Mr. Bewick could procure no specimen 

 for his admirable work.] 



* REDBREASTED, SIBERIAN GOOSE. Anser ruficollis. 



A rare and very delicate species. 



* WHITEFRONTED, or LAUGHING GOOSE. Anas albifrons 



L'oie rieuse. 



These geese were quite unknown to the gunners on 

 the Hampshire coast, till the last severe winter, when 

 they arrived here ; and were, more or less, dispersed 

 over other parts of Great Britain. One Sunday morn- 

 ing, when birds really appear to know their day of safety, 



