110 NATURAL HISTORY [Birds. 



Species 2. The Immer. 



C. pedibus palmatis tetradactylis, corpore supra nigricante albo undulato, subtus 

 toto albo, Brunnich. Orn. 12Q. Lin. Sys. 222. Ansernostratibus the Em- 

 ber-goose dictus, Sib. Scot. 21. Emmer or limner Goose, Ore. 



THIS species, by common observers, is not distinguished 

 from the last, but both go in Orkney under the name of Im- 

 mer or Emmer Goose; they are, however, very different. Sir 

 Robert Sibbald places it among his goose or duck-kind with 

 broad bills, between the wild and dunter-goose (anas molissi- 

 ma), but it has nothing to do in the genus. The emmer- 

 goose is very frequent in our sounds and bays at all seasons. 

 Hike the former it never attempts to fly, even though fired 

 at ; seems to put its whole trust in diving, which it does with 

 wonderful facility, stays a long while under water, and rises 

 at a vast distance. In bulk it equals the former; the bill 

 strongly made, very sharp, and four inches long, the ridge of 

 the upper mandible black, the rest both of t and the lower pale- 

 coloured ; the head and neck a dusky black; the throat, belly, 

 and inside of the wings white, with a blackish line crossing 

 the vent ; the whole upper side of the body is a dusky black, 

 only the point of every feather is bordered with white, which 

 at some distance looks as if it were waved ; the covert fea- 

 thers of the wings, instead of white, are waved with a faint 

 ash-colour, the quill-feathers black ; the legs, like all those of 

 the tribe, are thin, and partly white and part black ; the tail 



