Class II. GREY LAG GOOSE. 229 



cinereous slightly edged with white; the pri- 

 maries grey, tipt with black, and edged with 

 white ; the secondaries black, grey only at their 

 base; the scapulars of a deep ash color, edged 

 with white ; the coverts of the tail, and the vent 

 feathers, of a pure white ; the middle feathers 

 of the tail dusky, tipt with white, the exterior 

 feathers almost wholly white ; the legs of a flesh 

 color. 



This species resides in the fens the whole 

 year ; breeds there, and hatches about eight 

 or nine young, which are often taken, easily 

 made tame, and esteemed most excellent meat, 

 superior to the domestic goose. The old geese 

 which are shot, are plucked and sold in the 

 market as fine tame ones, and readily bought, 

 the purchaser being deceived by the size, but 

 their flesh is coarse. Towards winter they col- 

 lect in great flocks, but in all seasons live and 

 feed in the fens. 



The Grey Lag is the origin of the domestic 

 goose ; itis the only species that the Britotis could 

 take young, and familiarize ; the other two never 

 breed here, and migrate during summer. The 

 mallard comes within the same description, and 

 is the species to which we owe our tame breed 

 of ducks ; both preserve some of the marks of 

 their wild state ; the goose the whiteness of the 



