CHAPTER XXIV 

 GEESE AND SWANS 



Domestic geese in America are mostly of European derivation, 

 but there are also races from Asia, and the American wild goose 

 is quite extensively bred in confinement in some districts, and in 

 such places is largely used to cross with domesticated races. Euro- 

 pean and Asiatic types are supposed to be from different wild types, 

 but from the fact that they interbreed freely it is assumed that these 

 must have been varieties of the same species. While some races 

 of geese are quite regularly better layers than others, and occasion- 

 ally an individual gives large egg production, laying qualities have 

 not been sufficiently developed in any race to justify its description 

 as a laying type. Geese are kept in domestication usually for their 

 flesh, but occasionally for ornament. The most appropriate classi- 

 fication, therefore, is to make two divisions, economic and ornamental . 



Economic races of geese. The most important races of geese 

 are the European races. The influence of other blood on stocks in 

 the country at large is practically negligible. Our common geese 

 came with the early settlers from Europe. Our popular improved 

 races are bred as received in later days from the parts of Europe 

 where they were developed. 



The common geese. The greater part of our stocks of geese 

 apparently still retain the type and characteristics of the geese com- 

 mon in Europe since long before the beginnings of history. The 

 graylag goose is the wild variety from which it is supposed that 

 the common domestic stock is derived. Except where selection for 

 white has been made, gray and mixed gray and white are the pre- 

 vailing colors. While inferior in size to the largest improved races, 

 the common geese are large enough, when bred and grown well, 

 to answer ordinary market requirements, and are extremely hardy. 



The Roman Goose. The Roman Goose is supposed to be the old- 

 est of the improved varieties. Although the Italians gave little atten- 

 tion to color in fowls, it appears that from very early times white was 



449 



