70 ANATID^ 



according as they grew ripe these ' berries ' dropped into 

 the sea, and shortly afterwards re-appeared on the surface 

 as fully developed Geese. It is hard to conceive that such 

 gross superstition is possible, but one can understand that 

 to fishermen living in isolated parts and unacquainted with 

 bird migration, the sudden appearance of multitudes of 

 these weird ' mourning-plumed ' birds foraging among the 

 seaweeds, must cause no small amount of surprise and 

 conjecture as to their origin. 1 



Flight. The flight of the Bernacle is strong and rapid ; 

 the birds often form a V-shaped flock, which breaks up 

 irregularly as they descend toward their feeding-grounds. 



Voice. The voice is low and murmuring and pleasing 

 to the ear. , 



Food. Bernacles delight to congregate on grass-covered 

 islands, or on the brow of a lonely hill or elevated field 

 overlooking the sea, where, free from molestation, they can 

 readily pluck the grasses, clover and maritime herbs. They 

 are shy birds, guarding their flocks by sentinels and keeping 

 up a noisy cackle while feeding. They often fly down to the 

 beach at low water, but unlike Brent Geese, do not require 

 extensive mud-flats on which to procure their food, indeed 

 many flocks resort to sea-pools surrounded by seaweed- 

 covered rocks. 



The Bernacle is not a bird of the market, and it is 

 seldom seen in large numbers in the game-dealers' shops ; 

 nevertheless its flesh is much esteemed. 



Nest. Little is known of the nesting-habits of this 

 Goose. It breeds, however, freely in captivity, usually 

 making a nest of grass, slender stems and coarse herbage, 

 and lining it with down. 



The eggs, four in number, 2 are white with a smooth shell. 

 The bird commences hatching about May. 



Geographical distribution. The Bernacle-Goose breeds 

 probably in Greenland, Iceland and Spitzbergen, along the 

 shore of the White Sea, and other Arctic regions, but its 

 distribution in the nesting-season requires further investi- 

 gation. Professor Collett mentions a pair that bred for 

 several years on one of the Lofoten islands off the Nor- 



1 The name ' Bernacle,' without the word ' Goose ' following, is 

 often used to designate this bird, owing to the ancient fable of its origin. 



2 This is the number which I have most frequently seen laid in 

 captivity. 



