The Illustrated Book oe Poultry. 
570 
rather than the stem. Farther up these barbs often unite again to form a proper stem, thus 
presenting a variation from the normal type of stem precisely opposite in character to that of the 
Sonnerat Jungle Fowl. 
The engraving represents a beautiful pair of Sebastopol Geese kept some years ago in the 
gardens of the Acclimatisation Society at Paris. The third is a Gambian or Spur-winged Goose. 
The average weight of Sebastopol Geese is about ten pounds each. The first specimens were 
imported from the Black Sea, whence the name is perfectly appropriate. They breed freely with 
common geese, the progeny generally showing the peculiar plumage in a modified or inferior 
degree. It is worth notice, as showing the analogous character of the plumage to that of Frizzled 
Fowls, that in some specimens the feathers on the neck also are actually recurved, though this is 
not usually the case. 
THE CEREOPSIS GOOSE, a native of New Holland, is a handsome bird ; but the gander 
is even worse in temper than the Egyptian, which makes it almost impossible to keep this variety 
in company with any other water-fowl. 
OTHER FANCY GEESE. — Of late years several other varieties of geese have occasionally 
been shown as Fancy Waterfowl. The Indian Bar-headed Goose is often seen, and is distinguish- 
able by three black bands across the back of a white head. The Magellan Goose, and another 
allied species sometimes called Magellan and sometimes Chilian, are also favourites, the latter 
especially so for the pretty stripes on breast and back, and because it is gentle with other water- 
fowl. The same good character may be given to the Sandwich Island Goose, which is hardy and 
breeds freely, and is regularly bred and sold as a fancy bird by Belgian amateurs. 
JUDGING GEESE. — Our attempts to frame a scale for judging geese from the awards at 
various shows, have produced very similar results to those in the case of ducks. With regard to 
Birmingham and most other shows, it is practically weight which decides the prizes. It is quite 
true that Embden Geese with coloured feathers, or birds grievously out of condition, would be 
disqualified either nominally or practically ; but there are always birds so free from such faults as 
these, that the rule practically holds good. And at other shows, where the scales are not employed, 
but general appearance, symmetry, &c., are taken into consideration, still no rules can be given, 
but the awards must be left to the “ general impression ” formed by an intelligent judge. The 
competition is not enough for reliable scales to be formed, and we have throughout this work 
stedfastly refused to present any tables which should give simply our own views, empirical as 
these or any other “views” must necessarily be. We will only state that comparison of the 
awards at all the Crystal Palace Shows, at which the competition has been the keenest of any 
where geese are thus judged as a whole, proves that size (measured by the eye) on the one hand, 
and the points of colour, plumage, symmetry, and condition taken together on the other, are given 
as nearly as possible equal weight in judging ; from other shows we have found it quite impossible 
to obtain any reliable average ; but the above may probably be taken as a rule embodying as much 
of accuracy as the case is capable of. In judging “fancy” geese, it is impossible to give any rule 
at all, cases where these are shown being so comparatively rare. 
