116 HISTORY OP 



which agree in one common character of feeding upon vegeta- 

 bles, and being remarkable for their fecundity. Of these, how- 

 ever, the tame goose is the most fruitful. — Having less to fear 

 from its enemies, leading a securer and a more plentiful life, its 



general colour of the plumage is wliite, except the first ten quills of the 

 wings, wliich are black, with white shafts. The young are of a blue colour, 

 till they are a year old. The legs are red. These birds are very numerous 

 about Hudson's Bay, where they are migratory, going further northward to 

 breed. They are also found in the northern parts of the old continent. TI16 

 snow geese have so little of the shyness of the other species, that they are 

 taken in a ludicrous mauner, about Jakut, and the other parts of Siberia 

 which they frequent. The inhabitants place near the banks of the rivers a 

 jfreat net in a straight line, or else form a hovel of skins sewed together ; this 

 done, one of the company dresses himself in the skin of rein-deer, advances 

 towards the flock of geese, and then turns back towards the net or hovel ; 

 and his companions go behind the flock, and, by making a noise, drive them 

 forward. The simple birds mistake the man in white for their leader, and 

 follow him «-ithin reach of the net, v/hich is suddenly pulled down on them, 

 and thus captures the whole. When he chooses to conduct them to the 

 hovel, they follow in the same manner ; he creeps in at the hole left for that 

 purpose and out at another at the opposite side, which he closes up. The 

 geese follow liim through the first ; and as soon as they are in, he passes 

 round and secures every one of them. 



The Swan Goose This species is more than a yard in length, and is of a 



size between the swan and the common goose. It is distinguished from 

 others of the goose tribe by its upright and stately deportment, by having a 

 large knob on the root of the upper mandible, and a skin almost bare of 

 feathers, hanging down like a pouch, or a wattle under the throat ; a white 

 line or fillet is extended from the corner of the mouth over the front of the 

 brow ; the base of the bill is orange ; irides reddish brown ; a dark brou-n 

 or black stripe runs down the hinder part of the neck, from the head t(. the 

 back ; the forepart of the neck and the breast are yellowish brown ; the 

 back and all the upper parts brownish gray, edged with a lighter colour ; 

 the sides and feathers wliich cover the thighs are clouded nearly of the 

 same colours as the back, and edged with white ; belly white ; and legs 

 orange. It is said these birds originally were found iu Guinea only: now they 

 are become pretty common, in a wild as well as a domesticated state, both 

 iu warm and in cold climates. They breed with the common goose, and 

 their offspring are as prolific as those of any other kind. The female is 

 smaller than the male. 



The CaiHidian Goose. — The Canadian Goose is somewhat larger than our 

 common domesticated breed. It is also slenderer in its make and especially 

 in its neck, which consequently approaches more nearly to that of the swan. 

 The entire length of the bird is about three feet, and the expanse of its 

 wings rather more than five. The back and wing-coverts are of a dull 

 brown, with a whitish tip to each of the feathers ; the quill-feathers of the 

 wings and tail black ; the sides pale ashy brown ; and the upper part of the 

 head and neck black, with a broad patch of white spreading from the throat 

 on cither side over the Ion er part of the cheeks. Y,y tliis latter character, 



