ORNAMENTAL WATERFOWL, 89 
Egg.—White; six to ten in number. April and May. 
Incubation, a month. 
Nest Down.—Whitish-grey, with a lavender tinge. 
CANADIAN GOOSE. 
(Branta canadensis. Bernicla canadensis). 
The habitat of this handsome Goose is, as its name implies, 
North America, from whence it occasionally visits England, 
where specimens at different times have been shot, Yarrell 
therefore including it among British birds. ‘This hardy species 
is distributed all over the United States, and extends its travels 
into the Arctic regions. In Hudson’s Bay, it is shot in great 
quantities by the settlers, who depend muck upon these birds 
and on their eggs for food. When in good condition these 
geese weigh about fourteen pounds, and being free and hardy 
breeders, would be a valuable addition to the game birds of 
our country could they be reared in sufficient numbers to 
afford sport. The species exists in large number, in a semi- 
domesticated condition in most of the countries of Europe, 
the Duke of Bedford, the Earl of Leicester, and the Earl of 
Wemyss possessing hundreds of these geese, which nest regularly 
upon the lakes on their estates. Their flight resembles that of 
other wild geese, and their nesting habits are similar. 
Some of my birds inter-bred with the Egyptian Geese, 
producing a singularly ugly hybrid of an ashy-grey colour, 
exhibiting a broad white band round the breast, which inherited 
to the full the unamiable characteristics of Chenalopex. 
Canadian Geese can generally be procured at 12s. 6d. to 
15s. each, being largely imported and bred in this country. 
Male.—Head and neck black ; throat and chin encircled 
by a broad white band extending to behind the eyes, whence 
