157 



GBAY-LAG goose. 



WILD GOOSE. 



Anser ferns, ...... AIoktagtj. 



" palustris, ...... Flesuxg. 



Anas anser, ...... Pes^-ast. 



" ferus, ...... Moxtagtt. 



Oie cendree ou premiere, .... Tesqdkce. 



Anser — A Goose. Ferus — ^Yild. 



Owing to more than one species of Wild Goose having been frequently mistaken for 

 the Grav-Lag Goose, it has been commonly supposed to be of much more frequent 

 occurrence in these islands than is really the case, it being in fact one of our rarest 

 species. The Gray-Lag Goose would seem to be the origin from whence most of our 

 domestic breed has been obtained; though another species, the "White-fronted Goose also 

 appears to have some close affinity to, at any rate, some portions of the domesticated 

 birds ; tame birds occasionally exhibiting the white forehead from which the "White-fronted 

 Goose derives its name. Mr. Tarrell has also found in some tame Geese the windpipe flat- 

 tened as in the White-fronted Goose; while generally it is cylindrical, as in the Gray -Lag 

 Goose. There can, however, hardly be a doubt that we are almost wholly indebted to 

 the present species for our domesticated bird, for the wild and the tame will breed 

 together, and the offspring is prolific. Certainly many of the tame breed exhibit a most 

 remarkable similarity in colouring and general appearance to the wild bird, as may be 

 seen by a comparison with our plate. 



In reference to this point, a very interesting fact is thus mentioned by Mr. Tarrell: — 

 "At the first exhibition of domestic poultry and water-fowl at the gardens of the Zoological 

 Society, in the Regent's Park, at the end of May, 1845, there was a fine specimen of 

 the Wild Gray-Lag Goose, sent from India by Mr. Blyth to Mr. Bartlett, who exhibited 

 the bird. The next coop contained the finest and the heaviest pair of Domestic Geese, 

 sent by Mr. Nolan, from Dublin. It was most obvious that these domestic birds were 

 derived from the Gray-Lag Goose. The pinky flesh-colour of the beak and the white 



