ANAS. 



ry to observe, that they are then poured 

 in weekly upon the tables of the luxurious 

 citizens of every town in the kingdom. 

 But these distant and divided supplies 

 seem trifling 1 when compared with the 

 multitudes, which, in the season, are driv- 

 en in all directions into the metropolis; 

 the former appear only like the scanty 

 watering's of the petty streamlet ; the lat- 

 ter like the copious overflowing torrent 

 of a large river. To the country market 

 towns they are carried in bags and pan- 

 niers; to the great centre of trade they 

 are sent in droves of many thousands. To 

 a. stranger it is a most curious spectacle to 

 view these hissing, cackling, gabbling, but 

 peaceful armies, with grave deportment, 

 waddling along, (like other armies) to cer- 

 tain destruction. Thedriversare each pro- 

 vided with a long stick, at one end of which 

 a red rag is tied as a lash, and a hook is 

 fixed at the other: with the former,'of 

 which the geese seem much afraid, they 

 are excited forward ; and with the latter, 

 such as attempt to stray are caught by 

 the neck and kept in order ; or if lame, 

 they are put into an hospital-cart, which 

 usually follows each large drove. In this 

 manner they perform their journies from 

 distant parts, and are said to get forward 

 at the rate of eight or ten miles in a day, 

 from three in the morning till nine at 

 night : those which become fatigued are 

 fed with oats, and the rest with barley. 

 The tame goose lays from seven to twelve 

 eggs, and sometimes more : these the care- 

 ful housewife divides equally among her 

 brood geese, when they begin to sit. 

 Those of her geese which lay a second 

 time in the course of the summer, are sel- 

 dom, if ever, permitted to have a second 

 hatching ; but the eggs are used for house- 

 hold purposes. In some countries the do- 

 mestic geese require much less care and 

 attendance than those of this country. The 

 goose has for many ages been celebrated 

 on account of its vigilance. The story of 

 the saving Rome by the alarm they gave, 

 when the Gauls were attempting the Capi- 

 tol, is well known, and was probably the 

 first time of their watchfulness being re- 

 corded, and, on thataccount, they were af- 

 terwards held in the highest estimation by 

 the Roman people. It is certain that noth- 

 ing can stir in the night, nor the least or 

 most distant noise be made, but the geese 

 are roused, and immediately begin to hold 

 their cackling converse ; and on the near- 

 er approach of apprehended danger, they 

 set up their more shrill and clamorous 

 cries. It is on account of this property 

 that they arc esteemed by many persons 



as the most vigilant of all centinels, when 

 placed in particular situations. 



Anas Erithrophus, or barnacle of Eu- 

 rope. The barnacle weighs about five 

 pounds, and measures more than two feet 

 in length, and nearly four and a half in 

 breadth. The bill, from the tip to the 

 corners of the mouth, is scarcely an inch 

 and a half long, black, and crossed with a 

 pale reddish streak on each side : a nar- 

 row black line passes from the bill to the 

 eyes, the irides of which are brown : the 

 head is small, and as far as the crown, 

 together with the cheeks and throat, 

 white : the rest of the head and neck, to 

 the breast and shoulders, is black. The 

 upper part of the plumage is prettily mar- 

 bled or barred with blue-grey, black, and 

 white : the feathers of the back are black, 

 edged with white, and those of the wing- 

 coverts and scapulars blue-grey, border- 

 ed with black near their margins, and 

 edged with white : the quills black, edged 

 a little way from the tips with" blue-grey ; 

 the under parts of the tail coverts white : 

 the thighs are marked with dusky lines 

 or spots, and are black near the knees : 

 the tail is black, and five inches and a half 

 long : the legs and feet dusky, very thick 

 and short, and have a stumpy appearance. 

 In severe winters, these birds are not un- 

 common in England, particularly in the 

 northern and western parts, where, how- 

 ever they remain only a short time, but 

 depart early in the spring to their north ern 

 wilds, to breed and spend the summer. 



Anas Bernicla, Brent Goose. Brown; 

 head, breast, and neck black, the latter 

 with a lateral white spot : tail coverts and 

 vent white : plentiful on the sea coast of 

 North America in autumn. It is consi- 

 dered by Mr. Wilson as the same with 

 the Barnacle Goose (A. Erythropus.) 



Anas molissima, or eider duck. This 

 wild, but valuable species is of a size be- 

 tween the goose and the domestic duck, 

 and appears to be one of the graduated 

 links of the chain which connects the two 

 kinds. The full-grown old males general- 

 ly measure about two feet two inches in 

 length, and two feet eight in breadth, and 

 weigh from six to above seven pounds. 

 The female is nearly of the same shape, 

 though less than the male, weighing only 

 between five and six pounds; but her 

 plumage is quite different, the ground co- 

 lour being of a reddish brown, prettily 

 crossed with waved black lines; and in 

 some specimens the neck, breast, and 

 belly, are tinged with ash ; the wings are 

 crossed with two bars of white : quills 



