208 ANIMALS IN MENAGERIES. 



Dr. Richardson says^ of sea-weed, &c., it could be do- 

 mesticated and bred like the Canadian goose, with 

 which, until these few years, it has been confounded by 

 all writers. According to Dr. Richardson, these geese 

 are well known in Hudson's Bay, by the Cree Indian 

 name of Apistiskeesh; and they are generally thought 

 by the residents to be merely a small kind of the Cana- 

 dian goose, as they have the white kidney-shaped patch 

 on the throat which is thought peculiar to that species. 

 Their habits, however, are dissimilar ; the Canada 

 goose frequenting the freshwater lakes and rivers of the 

 interior, and feeding chiefly on herbage ; while the pre- 

 sent species is always found on the sea coast, feeding on 

 the marine plants and the molluscs which adhere to 

 them, whence their flesh derives a strong fishy taste. 

 In form, size, and general colour, this species, however, 

 more nearly resembles the brent than the Canada 

 goose : nevertheless, it differs from the former in hav- 

 ing the white kidney-shaped patch on the throat and 

 cheeks; in wanting the spotted white m^irks on the sides 

 of the neck ; in the black colour terminating four inches 

 higher, instead of including the swell of the upper parts 

 of the back and breast; and in the white of the vent 

 being more extended. It is totally unlike Anser leu- 

 cop.sis in plumage, and has a longer bill. 



The colour of the head, neck, rump, and tail is pitch 

 black : back and both surfaces of the wings clove brown ; 

 the edges of the feathers yellowish grey, and worn. The 

 white colour is distributed in the following way : — 1. A 

 speck before the eye : 2. The under eyelid : 3. A kid- 

 ney-shaped patch on the throat, similar to that of the 

 Canada goose, and which terminates acutely on each side 

 of the hind head : 4. A band which passes over the 

 upper tail covers, and forward by the sides of the rump: 

 the breast, vent, and under tail covers are also white : 

 the abdomen is yellowish grey, edged with white ; and 

 the flanks are transversely barred with bluish grey and 

 white : the bill and feet are black. 



