ClafsII. BRENT GOOSE. 453 



Thefe birds frequent our coafts in ir»e winter: in 

 Ireland they are called Bernacles, and appear in great 

 quantities in Augufl, and leave it in March. They 

 feed on a fort of long grafs growing in the water; pre- 

 ferring the root and fome part above it, which they 

 dive for, bite off and leave the upper part to drive on 

 fhore. They abound near Londonderry, Belfaft, and 

 Wexford •, aud are taken in flight time in nets placed 

 a-crofs the rivers •, and are much efteemed for their 

 delicacy. The Rat or Roadgc&fe, of Mr. Willoughby *, 

 agrees in fo many refpects with this kind, that we fuf- 

 peft it only to be a young bird not come to full fea- 

 thers : the only difference confiding in the feathers 

 next the bill, and on the throat and bread being brown. 

 We have the greater reafon to imagine it to be fo as 

 Mr. Brunnich informs us that the Damjh and Norwegian 

 names for this bird are Radgaas and Raatgaas, which 

 agree with thofe given it by Mr. Willougby. Mr. 

 Willoughby, Mr. Ray, and M. Brijfon very properly 

 defcribe the Bernacle and Brent as different fpecies, but 

 Linnaeus makes thefe fynonymous, and defcribes the 

 true Bernacle as the female of the white fronted wild 

 goofe. vide Faun. fuec. 116. 



* Page 36 x. 



VI. The 



