duck. 247 



27.— RED-BREASTED GOOSE. 



Anas ruficollis, Ind. Orn. ii. 841. Gin. Lin. i. 511. Pall. Spic. vi. 21. t. 4. Id. reise, 

 iii. 701. 3. Decouv. russ. ii. 19. Frisch, v. 157. Tern. Man. 533. Id. Ed. 2d. 

 p. 827. Gm. reise, ii. 181. t. 14. A.torquata. 



Die Rothhals Gans, Bechst. Dents. Ed. 2d. iv. 916. 



Red-breasted Goose, Gen. Si/n. vi. 455. Arct. Zool. ii. 571. C. Br. Zoul. 1812. ii. 

 p. 241. Bewick, ii. pi. p. 289. Lewin, vii. pi. 241. Orn. Diet. 



SIZE of a Canada Goose ; length twenty-one inches, breadth 

 three feet ten ; weight three pounds troy. Bill small, brown ; nail 

 black; irides yellow brown; round the eyes fringed with brown; 

 fore part of the head and crown black, passing backwards in a 

 narrow stripe quite to the back; forehead and cheeks sprinkled with 

 white; between the bill and eye an oval, large spot of white, sepa- 

 rated from the white of the forehead by a line of black; chin and 

 throat black ; behind the eye white, passing down on each side of 

 neck, and ending in a point, the middle of this white is rufous; the 

 rest of the neck deep rufous ; on the breast a narrow band of white 

 feathers with black ends, forming two bands of those colours ; belly 

 white ; sides striped with black ; back and wings black, the last 

 even with the tail ; greater wing coverts tipped with grey; upper 

 and under tail coverts white; legs black. 



This is a most elegant species, and every where met with on the 

 northern Coast of Siberia. In Russia, from the River Ob to the 

 Lena, breeding there, and retiring south in autumn; is called by 

 theOstiacs, Tschakwoi, from its voice; and by the Samoids, Tschagu; 

 frequents the Caspian Sea, returning north in small flocks as the 

 summer approaches; supposed to winter in Persia. 



One of these was shot near London, in the beginning of the 

 severe frost of 1766. Another taken alive near Wycliffe, in York- 

 shire, about the same time ; this latter soon became familiar, and was 

 kept among other Ducks in a pond ; but though it associated freely 

 with them, and seemed partial to one in particular, never produced 



