1178 Birds. 



were taken upon the sea-shore, near Hartlepool, and divided among 

 the farmers in the neighbourhood, no pains having been taken to keep 

 the breed pure." 



Grey-leg Goose, Wild Goose, Anser ferus. A bird now rare in 

 these counties. Until of late years it has been confounded with 

 the next species, and I had fallen into the same mistake in my former 

 Catalogue. The stock from which the domestic goose has sprung, is 

 unknown, and the best opinion seems that it has not originated from 

 this wild goose. 



Bean Goose, Anser segeluni. This is the common goose here. 

 The observations at p. 14, No. 115, in my Catalogue, ' Hist, of Stock.' 

 must be referred to this species. 



White-fronted Goose, or Laughing Goose, Anser albifrons. 

 " Frequents our marshes in small flocks. The one in my collection 

 was shot near the Tees." — J. G. Visits us from the north of Europe 

 chiefly in the winter. 



Common Bernicle, Anser leucopsis. Scarce near Hartlepool. 

 " Occasionally killed on the Tees, but a rare bird." — J. G. 



Brent Goose, Anser torquatus. Plentiful in the estuary of the Tees 

 in severe winters. The rat or road goose of Willughby, so called 

 from its Norwegian name, is most likely the present bird. 



Red-breasted Goose, Anser ruficollis. Two of this very scarce 

 and handsome species have been seen of late years by the Tees. 

 One was shot by Mr. J. Hikely in Cowpen marsh, and afterwards 

 stuffed. 



Common Shelldrake, Tadorna Vulpanser. An extremely beau- 

 tiful bird. It is frequent here, and " breeds in rabbit-holes in 

 sand-hills near Hartlepool," (Sharp's List, p. 16) ; also at Seaton 

 Snook. Aldrovandi calls this the Vulpanser Tadorne, but the real 

 Vulpanser (xwahuTrnZ) appears to be the Egyptian goose ( Clienalopex 

 Egyptiaca), which is distinctly seen in the ancient coloured paintings 

 and hieroglyphics from Egypt. Yet the shelldrake considerably re- 

 sembles the Egyptian goose, and from " its instinctive cunning, Tur- 

 ner " (incorrectly) " imagines it to be the Chenalopex, or fox-goose of 

 the ancients : the natives of the Orkneys, to this day, call it the sly 

 goose, from an attribute of that quadruped," (Pennant, Brit. Zool. 

 vol. ii. p. 257). Many ornithologists write the word, shieldrake, but I 

 apprehend it is more correctly written shelldrake, from the bird's living 

 principally on shell- fish and testaceous Mollusca. 



Shoveller, Anas clypeala. " Visits us every summer, and has bred 

 in Cowpen marsh." — J. G. Sometimes termed Broad-bill, from its 



