CANADA GOOSE. 
59 
now returned with her little family, to share with them the sweets 
of civilized life. 
“ The truth of the foregoing relation can be attested by many 
respectable people, to whom Mr. Platt has related the circumstances 
as above detailed. The birds were all living, and in his possession, 
about a year ago ; and had shown no disposition whatever to leave 
him.” 
The length of this species is three feet, extent five feet two 
inches ; the bill is black ; irides dark hazel ; upper half of the 
neck black, marked on the chin, and lower part of the head, with 
a large patch of white, its distinguishing character ; lower part of 
the neck before white ; back and wing-coverts brown, each feather 
tipt with whitish ; rump and tail black ; tail-coverts and vent 
white ; primaries black, reaching to the extremity of the tail ; 
sides pale ashy brown ; legs and feet blackish ash. 
The male and female are exactly alike in plumage. 
Mr. Reuben Haines of Germantown, in the county of Phila- 
delphia, possesses a flock of Canada Geese, The original pair 
were taken on board of a vessel on our coast, having been driven 
to sea by a storm. The person into whose hands they came, find- 
ing that they evinced no disposition to breed, gave them to Mr. 
Haines, who owned them for one year without perceiving any symp- 
toms of an increase. He was now informed that Wild Geese would 
not breed unless they were provided with water to swim in ; hence 
he constructed for them a convenient pond, which he was enabled 
to effect by means of a rivulet of limpid water, running through 
his grounds. In April, 1822, the goose laid six eggs, four of which, 
in due time, produced as many goslings, and all were raised. 
On the 15th of April, in the following year, the goose again 
commenced laying; on the 24th she began to sit upon six eggs ; 
and brought forth three young on the 24th of May, three of the 
eggs being addled. Both male and female, from the commence- 
ment of laying, were extremely watchful of their nest, which was 
