THE BRENT GOOSE. 51 



of wild fowl here was neglected for a long period, both these 

 species may now again, more than 170 years after the above 

 was written, be seen in St. James's Park, and in company 

 with species which were wholly unknown at that period. 



A number of the strangely fanciful old stories respecting tliis 

 and the following species being produced from the Cirripede of 

 the same name, which adheres to the bottoms of ships, are brought 

 together in the volume of the 'Library of Entertaining Know- 

 ledge/ entitled ' Habits of Birds,' p. 363. The belief is still 

 current among the Irish fishermen and those who dwell about 

 the sea. 



THE BRENT GOOSE. 



Amer brenta, Elem. 



„ hernicla, Linn, (sp.) 

 „ torquatus, Belon. (sp.) 



Is, except in summer, a constant inhabitant of suitable 

 localities around the coast. 



This species is commonly described by British authors, as much 

 more frequent on the eastern coast of Great Britain than on the 

 western, on which the bernacle is said to be chiefly found. Even on 

 the coast of the county of Sutherland, which stretches across Scot- 

 land, the distribution of the two species is stated to follow the same 

 rule.* This cannot be owing to any laws of geographical distri- 

 bution, as the brent goose is in Europef abundant still farther to 

 the west than Great Britain ; — namely, in Ireland, where it is found 

 on each side of the island, according to the simple rule of the suita- 

 bleness of the locality — an abundance of Zoster a marina, in so far 

 as my observation extends, determining that point. Montagu, too, 

 had remarked, in reference to this island, that brent geese " arc 

 in greatest abundance in those rivers that empty themselves into 



* St. John, ' Tour in Sutherland/ vol. i. p. 139. 

 t It is common on the coasts of the United States, &c., of America. 

 E 2 



U. Of itL UB. 



