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Chapter XLV. 
GEESE. 
There are four prominent varieties of Geese — the Toulouse, Embden,and Brown and White China, besides 
minor varieties, such as the Canada Goose, the Egy[)tian or Nile Goose, the Gambian Goose, the Sebastopol 
Goose, the Cereopsis Goose, the Indian liar-headed Goose, the Magellan Goose, and the Sandwich Island 
Goose. 
There seems little doubt but that all the varieties of our domesticated Geese are descended from 
one common ancestor, viz., the wild Grey Lag Goose, and that the present domesticated varieties and 
sub-varieties are the results of breeding for certain characteristics. It will be noted that the common Goose 
varies considerably in colour and markings, ranging from a pure white to fawn, and from a grey and white, 
to almost a black and white. The present day exhibition specimens of Embden and Toulouse Geese have 
been brought to their high state of perfection by careful selection and preference in mating for generations, 
and this will clearly exhibit when it is taken into consideration the wide difference existing between the two 
varieties mentioned, to what an almost unlimited extent, man can mould any /orm of bird life to his will. 
One marked characteristic with the Goose, in common with that of the Duck, is that the Gander, while 
kept in a state of domestication, ceases to be monogamus, but while in the wild state is strictly so. This is, 
however, a latent trait; at times a Gander pairing up with one Goose only, taking no notice whatever of the 
rest of the flock, thus accounting at times for many unfertile eggs. 
The Toulouse Qoose is very compact in shape. The body and breast is of a light grey colour, the 
neck dark grey, shading off to a lighter shade towards the back, and the wings are similar in colour, shading 
off to a white on the belly and thighs. The bill is of an orange colour, the feet and legs of a deep orange 
colour. 
The Embden Goose is a pure spotless white in plumage throughout. The bill is of a rich orange, 
the legs and feet a bright orange colour, and the eyes light blue. It grows to an enormous size. The 
female rarely lays until past the first year, but will, if a healthy specimen, lay and produce strong, healthy 
progeny to a very advanced age. 
The Canada Qoose or Aboriginal Goose of North America, differs considerably in appearance to either 
of the foregoing, the neck being long and slender. The head, bill, and greater part of the neck of the 
Canada are black, with a white patch of feathers at the throat, the feathers on the upper part of the body 
being a brownish-grey, with light edges. The dark upper plumage passes to nearly white on the belly, and 
the quill feathers of the wings and tail arp almost black, the eye is greyish-brown, and the legs and feet 
almost black. The legs are rather long, and the carriage of the body noble and commanding. 
The Chinese Qoose varies somewhat in colour. The most usual colour is a greyish-brown on the back 
and upper-parts, passing to white on the abdomen ; the front part of the neck and breast being a yellowish- 
grey, and with a very dark brown stripe running down the entire back of the neck, from the head to the 
back. The bill and legs are orange-coloured, and the protuberance at the base of the upper bill dark, or 
almost black. Another variety is almost white, with a pale dark stripe running down the back of the neck — 
this ijeing a characteristic trait in all varieties of the Chinese Goose. 
The Egyptian or Nile Qoose, also known as the African, is generally grey and black on the 
upper-parts of the body, and pale buff or yellow, beautifully pencilled with black lines underneath, a patch 
around the eye, and another on the centre of the breast being of a chestnut colour ; the shoulders of the 
