138 BIRDS 



turns, a pair of birds in the New York Zoological Park 

 once having kidnapped the young of other pairs until they 

 had accumulated no less than eighteen goslings, all of 

 which they triumphantly reared! 



HuTCHiNS Goose (B. canadensis hutchinsi) is a small 

 edition of the Canada Goose, and the Cackling Goose 

 (5. c. minima) is similar but still more diminutive. 

 Strangely enough, although obviously very closely allied to 

 the Canada Goose, neither of these birds has been bred 

 in captivity in America, although the Hutchin, at least, has 

 reared young in Europe. 



The various forms of the Brant (Branta bernicla) fall in 

 the same category. Three birds of the eastern subspecies, 

 all full-winged, have lived in the New York Zoological 

 Park for nearly fifteen years, but have never shown any 

 inclination to breed. The European Brant does not seem 

 difficult to breed in captivity on its native continent. 



The three Snow Geese, the Greater (Chen hyperborea 

 nivalis), the Lesser (C h. hyperborea) and the Ross (C 

 rossii), are pure white in color, with black primaries. They 

 differ from one another chiefly in size and other minor par- 

 ticulars. None of the forms has ever reared young in cap- 

 tivity in America, although there seems to be no great diffi- 

 culty about it in Europe. In 1912 the writer saw a pair of 

 Snow Geese, with three well-grown young, which they had 

 reared in a tiny paddock in the Zoological Gardens of 

 London. 



The genus Anser includes the ancestors of our domestic 

 breeds, the Gray Lag Goose {Anscr anser). This Euro- 

 pean species, although domesticated in remote ages, is a very 

 shy breeder in captivity. It has been bred at least once in 

 America, the eggs being rescued from the water, where they 

 had been dropped, and two goslings hatched and reared 

 by a hen. 



