Rare Visi- 
tant. 
276 NATATORES. ANSER. GOOSE. 
can judge from dried skins (never having had the opportu- 
nity of examining a fresh specimen), to possess all the essen- 
tial characters, I have accordingly retained it amongst the 
other species of the genus Anser.—It is known in Britain 
only as a rare visitant, when driven by tempestuous weather 
out of the usual course of its migrations. But five or six 
instances of its capture are on record: the first occurred 
near London in the year 1776, and the specimen passed into 
the hands of Mr Tunsrat, and from it (now in the Mu- 
seum at Newcastle-upon-T'yne) the figure in the present 
work has been taken ;—in the second instance, this bird was 
caught alive near Wycliffe, and was kept by the above men- 
tioned gentleman for some years in confinement ;—a third, 
shot near Berwick-upon-Tweed, was sent to Mr Buttock, 
in whose museum it remained till the dispersion of that cele- 
brated collection ;—the others, according to Mr StePHEns: 
were killed in the severe winter of 1813, in Cambridgeshire, 
but unfortunately, from the ignorance of the captors, were 
lost to the purposes of science. This species is a native of 
the Arctic Regions of Northern Asia, and during its polar 
migration is said to retire to Siberia and the confines of the 
Frozen Ocean, where it breeds and rears its young. Accord- 
ing to TEMMINCK, it is abundant about the mouths of the 
rivers Ob and Lena at the above season. During the winter 
it migrates southward to the warmer districts of Russia, and 
to Persia; and is plentiful about the shores of the Caspian 
Sea, but of very rare occurrence in any part of Europe. I 
am unable to give any detailed account of its habits, but 
they may be presumed similar to those of its near allies, the 
Bernicle and Brent Geese; and that it feeds on vegetable 
diet appears evident from its flesh being pronounced free 
from any fishy taste, and in great esteem for the table. 
Prats 46. Figure of the natural size; from a specimen ori- 
ginally in the Wycliffe Museum, but now in that of the 
Natural History Society of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 
