THE BERNACLE GOOSE. 
of the neck, and is separated from 
the colour of the throat and breast 
by a white band ; the head is white 
with two black bars across it at 
the back. The bill is yellow with a 
black tip, and the feet orange 
Young birds do not show the head- 
marking. 
THE CANADA GOOSE. 
[Branta cam den. ns. ) 
African and Toulouse Cross (Young). 
tunity of observing both species in a large park, 1 
always noticed the Chinese kept nearer to the bank of 
the lake. They also take wing more readily, nut are 
too tame to need pinioning or clipping. Exceptional 
scientific interest attaches to the Chinese goose in that, 
although so different in voice, habits, build, and colour 
from our other domestic species, it has been known for 
the last century to produce fertile hybrids with it. The 
hybrid favours the Chinese in appearance, as might have 
been seen from some photographs of such hybrids, bred 
at the experimental station, Rhode Island, U.S.A., which 
appeared in The ’■ Feathered World, January 8, 1897. 
[They are here called African Geese by Americans, but 
are the same variety as Chinese . — 
Ed.] The late Mr. E. Blyth, one of 
the few naturalists who studied 
tame as well as wild birds, con- 
sidered that the ordinary domestic 
goose of India was such a hybrid, 
and geese differing little from the 
wild Chinese, except in their rather 
coarser make, are often seen in the 
Calcutta market, where I have never 
seen one like an English bird, so 
that the Chinese blood must be very 
prepotent. 
This is one of our oldest-estab- 
lished ornamental waterfowl, being 
often allowed to go at large un- 
pinioned, and is not unfrequently 
shot in a wild state in Europe, 
though originally a native of North 
America. It is a large goose, though 
not so big as the tame bird, and 
dark brown in body-colour, witli 
a coal-black head and neck, set off 
by a white crescent aeros® the 
throat ; the hill and feet are black. 
In young birds the white feathers 
of the tlnoat are edged with black. 
When this goose has a good range 
it may he allowed to go at large 
unpinioned ; I remember, when a 
boy, often seeing a flock in this con- 
dition, and very ornamental they 
were. But, of course, the fancier 
who allows his geese the use of their 
wings must be prepared to risk 
their straying and getting shot, 
through their ornamental appearance is a great induce- 
ment to hazard this. This goose will breed with the 
two species of tame geese. 
THE BERNACLE GOOSE. 
(Branta Icncopsin . ) 
This is a rather small goose, with a peculiarly small 
and delicate bill. Its colour is very striking, the face 
being white, the neck black, and the body clear grey, the 
feathers having a black bar before the usual pale tip 
THE BAR-HEADED GOOSE. 
(Anser indicus ). 
This handsome goose comes, as 
ts specific name implies, from India, 
which country it inhabits only in the 
winter, going to Central Asia to 
breed. It has been imported rather 
freely of late, and is one of the most 
desirable of all geese as an orna- 
mental bird, being of light, graceful 
build, with a small neat bill and 
clear French-grey plumage, a colora- 
tion rare among waterfowl. A dark 
brown stripe runs down the back 
Purf. Brown China Geese (Young). 
