260 DUCK. 



The female is less bright in plumage; and in young birds the 

 white on the sides of the neck is small, or wholly deficient; in this 

 state is probably the following. 



A. — Bernicla minor, Bris. vi. 302. Id. 8vo. ii. 442. Ind. Orn. ii. 844. 

 Brenthus, Raii, Syn. 137, A. 7. Id. 139. 11 ? Will. 276. t. 76. 

 Anser Branta, Klein, Av. 130. 8. 

 Rat-Goose, or Road Goose, Will. Engl. 361. § viii. 



According to Mr. Johnson, the bill and legs are black ; top of the 

 head and part of the neck black, the feathers next the bill, throat, 

 and breast, brown ; rest of the under side white ; upper side grey, 

 but the ends of the feathers darken into a brownish colour, the 

 edges changing into white, as is usual also in the Common Tame 

 Goose; quills and tail black; the rump is also white. 



" It is a very heedless fowl (contrary to the nature of other Geese) 

 " so that if a pack of them come into the Tees, it is seldom one 

 " escapes, for they be often shot at, yet they only fly a little, and 

 " suffer the gunner to come openly upon them." 



The trachea in the male enlarges a little at its origin, and lessens 

 again towards the breast bone, but has no labyrinth. 



These birds, like the Bernacles, frequent our coasts in winter ; 

 and particularly so, at times, on those of Holland and Ireland, where 

 they are taken in nets placed across the rivers. In some seasons 

 resort to the coasts of Picardy, in France, in such prodigious flocks, 

 as to prove a pest to the inhabitants, especially in the winter of 1740, 

 when they tore up by roots all the corn near the sea coasts. On this 

 the inhabitants every where attacked them with clubs, and killed 

 great numbers, but the quantity was so great, that it did not avail 

 much ; nor were they relieved from this scourge till the north wind, 

 which had brought them, ceased to blow, when they took leave. 



They easily become tame, and being fatted, thought to be delicate 

 food : they breed pretty far north, returning southward in autumn. 

 Observed to fly in the shape of a wedge, like Wild Geese, with great 



