208 ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 



with the age of the individual ; and the bend of its wings 

 is furnished with a large blunt spur, which appears to 

 be occasionally doubled. On this latter character Dr. 

 Leach founded his genus Plectropterus. 



The Spur- winged Goose was confounded by Willugh- 

 by, and afterwards by Buffon, with a variety of the 

 Egyptian Goose, equally distinguished by the presence 

 of a spur upon the wing, but differing considerably in 

 the form of its bill, and in its colours. In the former 

 the entire bill and the tubercle at its base are of a dull 

 red ; the sides of the head are white ; the upper parts 

 of the body black, with a metallic brilliancy ; a patch 

 of white, mottled with black spots, occupies the base 

 of each of the wings ; and the under parts are white, 

 sometimes marked with indistinct zig-zag lines of gray. 

 The legs have an obscure tinge of red ; and the spurs 

 of the wings are horn-coloured ; but the latter are visible 

 only when the wings are expanded, being concealed at 

 all other times beneath the plumage. 



The rarity of this species in our collections, notwith- 

 standing its early introduction into this country, proves 

 that it is extremely difficult to acclimate in the north of 

 Europe. The Society's specimen, which is in remark- 

 ably fine plumage, has been for more than twelve months 

 an inhabitant of the Garden. 



^.^^'-'/ 



