778 BIRDS OF INDIA, 



The Hooper Swan, Cygnus musicus, is said to have been met 

 with in Nepal, and a head and a foot, stated to be from that 

 country, are in the British Museum ; if killed there, however, 

 it could only have been a very accidental visitor, and was more 

 probably brought from the Tibet side of the Hills. 



The genus Coscoroba, Bonap., founded on Anas coscoroba, 

 Gmelin, {A. chionis, Illiger) from South America, is placed by 

 Bonaparte at the end of the Swans. 



Fam. Anserid^e. 



Bill moderate or short, narrower in front than behind, more or 



less raised at the base ; legs rather long, set more forward on the 



body than in the Ducks ; plumage of the sexes differing but slightly. 



This family comprises several distinct groups, and is divided 



into the following sub-families. : — 



1st. — Anserince, True Geese. 



2nd. — Cereopsince, New Holland Geese. 



3rd. — Plectropterince, Spurred Geese. 



4th. — Nettapodince, Anserine Teal. 



5th. — Tadornince, Shieldrakes, &c. 



Sub-fam. Anserince, True Geese. 



Bill short, high at the base, conical; nail large, convex; laminar 

 teeth more or less exposed, short ; nostrils median, large ; tarsus 

 thick, lengthened ; feet of moderate or rather small size ; wings 

 ample, moderately long, 1st and 2nd quills longest; tail short 

 of 16 or 18 feathers; legs nearly central; tibia feathered nearly 

 to the joint ; neck moderately long; trachea simple. 



Geese, as here characterized, have a large heavy body, with a 

 tolerably long neck and a small head. The wings are long and pow- 

 erful, and the hind toe is very small. They live in flocks, breeding 

 for the most part in polar regions, and migrating in winter to 

 more genial climates ; when flying, they maintain regular long lines, 

 and emit loud clanging calls. They walk well on land in consequence 

 of the central position of their legs. They feed entirely on vege- 

 tables, grazing on grass and young corn, their short stout bill being- 

 well suited for biting off the shoots ; and they spend the heat of the 

 day on sand-banks in rivers, or in the centre of large lakes. They 



