THE BEENT GOOSE. 



THE BKANT. Anas Bernicha. 



THIS beautiful and delicious wild-fowl, like several of 

 its congenors which breed within the limits of the Arctic 

 Circle, is common to both continents of Europe and 

 America, and is with us in the northern Atlantic states 

 perhaps the most numerous, and certainly the most 

 esteemed, whether as an object of sport or an article of 

 food, of the varieties of this family, which are common 

 upon our coasts. .To the Canada Goose, or Wild-Goose, 

 as it is more usually termed, Anas Canademis, it is uni- 

 versally, and not undeservedly, preferred ; although, in 

 my opinion, the former is itself entitled to a far higher 

 place than is generally assigned to it among the water- 

 fowl of America. The Snow-Goose, Anas Hyper'boreus^ 

 and the White-Fronted Goose, Anas ATbifrons, are so 

 rare that opportunities seldom occur of testing their com- 

 parative excellence. In England I once tasted the latter 

 fowl, and found it scarcely distinguishable from the Grey 

 Lag, or common Wild-Goose of Europe, Anas Anser> 



