A GUIDE FOR KEEPERS OF POULTRY 75 
ness and when put on exhibition the smallest specimen is 
awarded the prize, other things being equal. The Chi- 
nese goose is a splendid layer and with proper attention 
there is no doubt that it could be bred up to become 
profitable for its eggs alone. 
Chinese geese have a remarkable knob at the junction 
of the bill with the skull. This is black and the larger 
it is the better it is liked. Gray Chinese geese are of the 
same color in both sexes, the prevailing color being a 
brownish gray running to a lighter shade on the under 
parts of the body. The White China is pure white in 
every section. 
African Geese.—This breed is not bred to any extent 
in this country. It is of the same weight as the Toulouse 
and of the same general color. The principal differences 
between the two breeds are that the African has a knob 
at the base of the bill, similar to that of the Chinese and 
the throat has a distinct and well-developed dewlap. 
Canadian or Wild Geese.—These are the wild geese 
common to the country. They are not properly to be 
considered as being among our domestic breeds as they 
can not be held in check without removing the outer 
joint of the wing, this operation being known as “pinion- 
ing.” A few are kept in this country, chiefly as orna- 
ments or to use as decoys in shooting wild geese. 
Egyptian Geese.—The Egyptian goose is probably de- 
scended from the wild gray goose, which ranges from the 
Mediterranean to the southern point of Africa. It was 
probably the ancestors of the modern Egyptian goose 
pictured by ancient Egyptian sculptors. Males weigh 10 
and females 8 pounds. In color the Egyptian is a com- 
bination of chestnut, gray, black and buff. It is rarely 
met with in this country. 
