52 BIRDS OF THE WORLD 



though in some species the plumage is rather conspicu- 

 ous. The neck and legs are longer than in Ducks, 

 the bill is thicker, and the hind toe has no lobe. They 

 are also less aquatic than Ducks, spending much time 

 on land and feeding on grass and cereals. The call 

 of the Goose is known as honking'; they also give ut- 

 terance to a hissing sound. 



What we may call a typical Goose is represented by 

 the Grey-lag, or common wUd Goose of Europe, from 

 which our domestic Goose is supposed to be derived, 

 although other species may be included in the ancestral 

 forms. See Plate 34, Fig. 198. 



The Brant Goose breeds in the Arctic regions, and 

 winters southward. It is very generally distributed 

 throughout the northern hemisphere. It is distin- 

 guished by white markings on the sides of the neck. 

 The Black Brant, which breeds in Western North 

 America, has a white ring around the neck. See 

 Plate 34, Fig. 199. 



A very handsome form is the Snow Goose, in which 

 the plumage is snow-white, relieved by the black quill- 

 feathers of the wings, while the legs and feet are 

 bright red. It breeds in the Arctic regions, and win- 

 ters from the Chesapeake Bay southward to Cuba. 

 A considerably smaller, but similar, form is called 

 the Lesser Snow Goose. In this the head is some- 

 times reddish. See Plate 34, Fig. 200. 



Perhaps the best known American species is the 

 Canada Goose. It has a white patch on the side of 

 the head, the throat is white, the rest of the neck black. 

 The back and wings are mostly greyish-brown. Like 

 the other wild Geese, this bird breeds in the far North, 



