636 



Palmi- 

 pedes. 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



its moving with sufficient velocity to inflict any sensible 

 pain." 1 



A species very nearly allied to the above is Bewick's 

 swan, Cygnus Beivickii, which was first distinguished as a 

 species by Mr Yarrell and Mr Richard Wingate of New- 

 castle. It has the bill black, with its base orange yellow, 

 the plumage white, and the tail of eighteen feathers, 

 whereas there are twenty in that of the common wild 

 swan. The curvature of the trachea is also different, and 

 the size of the species is about a third smaller. It inha- 

 bits the arctic regions of both continents, migrating south- 

 ward in winter. 



The mute or tame swan, Cygnus olor, has the bill red, its 

 edges, the nail at its tip, and a large knob at the base of the 

 upper mandible, black ; the plumage white, the tail of twen- 

 ty-four feathers. In this species the trachea has no extra 

 thoracic curvature. The tame swan is said to be found in 

 its wild state in the eastern countries of Europe and Asia. 

 It is generally distributed over Europe in a domesticated 

 state, forming a great ornament to our rivers and artificial 

 pieces of water. It makes its nest of grass, among reeds, 

 and deposits seven or eight eggs of a greenish-white co- 

 lour, which are hatched in seven or eight weeks. The 

 young are of a gray colour, and were formerly much es- 

 teemed as an article of food. 



The black swan, Cygnus atratus, of which the general 

 colour of the plumage is brownish black, with part of the 

 wings white, and the bill red, inhabits various parts of New 

 Holland, and is now not uncommon in a domesticated state 

 in this country. (See Plate CCCCII. fig. 5.) 



Intermediate between the swans and geese are several 

 species, such as the Guinea goose, Anas cygnoides of Lin- 

 naeus, and the spur-winged or Gambia goose, Anas Gam- 

 bensis of the same author, — which, although less elegant 

 than the swans, are yet nearly allied to them in the form 

 of their bill. 



The geese, genus Anser, are distinguished, as has been 

 already said, by the form of their bill, which is short, and 

 narrowed towards the point. Their feet are also pro- 

 portionally longer than those of the ducks, so that they 

 have a greater facility in walking. They swim less, how- 

 ever, and are incapable of diving. They live in flocks, 

 feed on gramineous plants and seeds, migrate in large bo- 

 dies, which during their flight are usually disposed in di- 

 vergent lines, and breed in marshy places, laying nume- 

 rous eggs. Those species which have the bill more slen- 

 der and somewhat cylindrical, are separated by some au- 

 thors to form the genus Bernicla. Three species of 

 geese properly so called, and two of bernicles, are not 

 uncommon during winter in this and other countries of 

 Europe. 



That to which the origin of the domestic goose is attri- 

 buted, the gray lag, or common wild goose, Anser ferus, is 

 nearly three feet long, with the bill large and of an orange 

 colour, the feet flesh-coloured, and the plumage light gray 

 and clove brown ; the rump and lower parts white. It was 

 formerly very abundant in this country, where it resided 

 all the year, but is now met with only in small flocks in 

 the winter season, although a few individuals have recent- 

 ly been found to breed in the north of Scotland — for ex- 

 ample, in the islets of the lochs of Sutherland. 



The bean goose, Anser segetum, is a little smaller, with 

 the bill more elongated, and of an orange colour, with its 

 base and the nail black ; the upper part ash-gray tinged 

 with brown, the rump dark brown, the abdomen and lower 

 tail-coverts white. This species is much more plentiful 

 with us than the last, appearing in large flocks in Novem- 

 ber, and retiring northward in April and May. 



The white-fronted goose, Anser aluifrons, has the bill 

 and legs orange, the plumage gray on the upper parts, on 

 the lower white, and a patch of the same colour on the 

 forehead. 



The common bernicle, Anser letwopsis, which has the 

 forehead, cheeks, and throat white, with the crown of the 

 head, the neck, and the breast black, is not unfrequent on 

 the western coast of Britain in winter ; and the brent goose, 

 Anser torquatus, characterized by having the head, neck, 

 and breast black, with a white patch on each side of the 

 neck, is also common in many parts, especially along our 

 eastern shores. The former of these species was long be- 

 lieved, even by the learned, to be the produce of a species 

 of cirripodous animal, the Lepas anatifera of Linnaeus, the 

 long feather-like branchiae of which gave rise to this ab- 

 surd fable. 



Another species of bernicle was observed, on Captain 

 Parry's second voyage, on Melville Peninsula, and named 

 by Dr Richardson, in the Fauna Boreali- Americana, in ho- 

 nour of Mr Hutchins, from whom Pennant and Latham 

 derived most of their information respecting the birds of 

 Hudson's Bay. It is about twenty-five inches in length, 

 with a very short black bill ; the head, neck, rump, and 

 tail pitch-black, and a white kidney-shaped patch upon the 

 throat. 



From the bernicles and geese some authors distinguish, 

 under the generic name of spurwing, Chenalopex, the 

 species usually named the Egyptian goose, which has the 

 bill longer than the bernicles, and has the wings armed 

 with a spur upon the bend. It inhabits various parts of 

 Africa, especially Egypt and the Cape of Good Hope, 

 whence it has been introduced into this country. 



The next genus, Cereopsis, is formed by a New Hol- 

 land species, resembling the bernicles in form, but with 

 the bill smaller, and having at its base a membrane ex- 

 tending over the forehead. The palmation of the feet is 

 not so full as usual. 2 (Plate CCCCII. fig. 2.) 



The ducks, properly so called, have the legs much shorter 

 than the geese, and placed farther back, the neck shorter, 

 and the body more depressed. Their trachea also has a 

 large dilatation at its bifurcation. 



Some of them, having the hind toe margined with a 

 membrane or lobe, the tarsi more compressed, the head 

 larger, and the wings shorter, feed on fishes and other 

 aquatic animals, and are less expert at walking, but dive 

 with greater agility. These species have been variously 

 grouped by authors into numerous genera, of which the 

 following are among the more remarkable. 



The scoters, genus Oidemia, have the bill short and 

 broad, with an elevated tumour or knob at the base, but 

 towards the tip much depressed and flattened, the nail ob- 

 tuse and roundish ; the lamellae widely set, and scarcely 

 projecting ; the nostrils oval and sub-medial, the tail short 

 and graduated. 



To this genus belong the velvet scoter, Oidemia fusca; 

 the black scoter, O. nigra ; and the surf scoter, O. perspi- 

 cillata ; which occur along the coasts of the northern tem- 

 perate regions in winter, feeding on fishes, and especially 

 mussels and other testaceous mollusca. Like that of the 

 other sea-ducks, their flesh is held in little estimation, be- 

 ing dark-coloured and tough, with a fishy flavour. 



The garrots, genus Clanguxa, have the bill shorter 

 than the head, elevated at the base, narrowed towards the 

 end; the lamellae numerous, but not projecting; the nos- 

 trils roundish, and medial; the tail of moderate length, and 

 graduated. 



The golden-eye, Clangula chrysophlhalma, which is 

 white, with the head, the back, and the tail black, a small 



Palmi- 

 pedes. 



1 Ornithological Dictionary. 



2 For the history of the only known species, Cer. Novo? Hollaniim, see Zoological Gardens, vol. ii. p. '315. 



