136 



THE POULTRY-BOOK. 



" This bird was originally imported from the Mediterranean 

 by the Earl of Derby, and is known indiscriminately by the 

 names of Mediterranean, Pyrenean, or that of Toulouse, which 

 I have here given it. This bird is chiefly remarkable for its 

 vast size a property in which it casts every other known 

 breed far into the shade ; it is, indeed, the Mammoth of geese, 

 and is to be regarded as a most valuable addition to our stock. 

 The prevailing color of the Toulouse goose is a slaty blue, 

 marked with brown bars, and occasionally relieved with black ; 

 the head, neck, as far as the beginning of the breast, and the 

 back of the neck, as far as the shoulders, of a dark-brown ; the 

 breast is slaty blue ; the belly is white, as also the under sur- 

 face of the tail ; the bill is orange-red, and the feet are flesh- 

 color. There can be little doubt of this valuable bird being 

 the unmixed and immediate descendant of the Gray-lag, and it 

 was, indeed, at once pronounced to be such by the Royal 

 Zoological Society of London, at their poultry exhibition of 

 June, 1845, when the pair figured above, the property of Mr. 

 Nolan, of Dublin, obtained the first prize. 



These fine birds also obtained the prize at the exhibition 

 in the Royal Dublin Society's yard, April, 1846, and subse- 

 quently at that of the Zoological Society of London, in the same 

 year, when they were purchased by his Highness Ibrahim 

 Pacha, and taken by that prince with him to Egypt. 



In habit the Toulouse goose resembles his congeners, but 

 appears to possess a milder and more easy disposition, which, 

 I need scarcely add, greatly conduces to the chance of his early 

 fattening, and that, also, at a little cost. Of his other pecu- 

 liarities I need only observe, that the curl of plumage on the 

 neck comes closer to the head than in common geese, and that 

 the abdominal pouch, which, in other varieties, is attendant 

 only upon age, exists in these birds from the shell ; the flesh 

 of the Toulouse goose is said to be tender and well flavored ; 



