THE GOOSE. 153 



CHAPTER XIII. 



The Goose. Domesticated Species. Common Goose. Large 

 Bremen Breed. Wild Goose. Mongrels. Chinese. The 

 Brant. Plucking Live Geese as practised in England. Rem- 

 edy proposed. Extensive Pastures required. The Swan. 



OF this genus and its kindred five species 

 have been domesticated. These are, 



1. Anser cinereus (Meyer), or Gray Lag, 

 from Europe, the original stock of our com- 

 mon domestic goose. 



2. Anser Canadensis, the Wild Goose of 

 North America. 



3. A. cygnoides, the China Goose. 



4. Anser bernicla, or Brant, from the 

 northern parts of Europe and America. 



5. Cygnusferus, or Swan of Europe. 



The common gray goose is a quiet, in- 

 offensive bird, and lives to a great age 

 There are authenticated statements to the 

 effect that they live to the age of seventy or 

 eighty years. She sits upon her eggs from 



