GREY-LAG GOOSE. 147 



than the adults, but the grey colour of the shoulders and 

 rump, the form of the bill, and the colour of the legs and 

 feet, will always distinguish them from the young of any 

 of the other species. 



I have ventured to make an exception to the figure 

 placed over the name of the Grey-lag Goose in Bewick^ 

 admirable work on our British Birds, believing it to have 

 been taken from a specimen of the Bean Goose, as the 

 black nail at the end of the beak, and the uniform colour 

 of the wing, seem to indicate. His excellent figure of 

 the tame Goose, at page 304, exhibits the characters of 

 the true Grey-lag Goose, from which the stock is derived, 

 in the conspicuous white nail to the beak, and the light 

 coloured cinereous blue outer portion of the wing. 



The Grey-lag Goose has bred with the Hooper Swan at 

 the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, for a knowledge of which, 

 and also of some other hybrid productions among the 

 species of this extensive family of Water-fowl, I am in- 

 debted to M. Edin. de Selys-Lonchamps, of Liege, com- 

 municated during his recent visit to England. The Grey- 

 lag Goose in a domestic state has also produced young in 

 two instances by union with the Knobbed, or Swan Goose, 

 A . cygnoides ; twice also with the Canada Goose, and once 

 with the Bernicle Goose. It has been stated that when a 

 union takes place between two different species of the 

 genus Anser, both having light coloured legs, or both 

 having black legs, the young are prolific ; but when pro- 

 duced between two birds, one of which has light coloured 

 legs, the other black legs, the young are not prolific. 



L 2 



