7 he Hiflory of A N I M A L S* 4-2 i 
fhorteft at the edges, and thence gradually longer to the middle, where they are 
longeft of all. It is equally calculated for walking or fwimming ; it carries it’s head 
eredt, and, when provoked, makes an odd hilling noife. 
All the writers on birds have defcribed the goofe, but they have run into the fam£ 
error in this, as they do in regard to the fwan. They divide it into two fpecies, under 
the names of Anfer ferus and Anfer domefticus; but the bird is entirely and abfolutely 
the fame. We have the wild goofe flying over our heads, in the fens of Lincolnfhire, 
in vaft flocks. They ufually fly at a vaft height, but are fometirnes within the rdach 
of a peculiar kind of long guns, which are fupported by flicks, while the people fire 
them. I have feen them frequently brought down this way, and found them to be 
wholly the fame with the tame ones in our yards. 
Anas capite colloque nigris . 
J^he Anas , with the head and neck black . 0J CSilfelB’*- 
This is a very lingular bird 5 it is conliderably ftnaller than the common goofe, but 
larger than the duck : the head is large and rounded, neither at all compreffed at the 
fides, nor deprelfed on the crown: the eyes are large 3 the beak is black, and is much 
fmaller than in the common goofe, but it is rather broader, in proportion to it’s 
length: from the very bafe to the extremity it hardly meafures an inch and a half 3 
the part about the angles of the mouth, and juft under the lower part of the beak, and 
whatever elfe is contiguous to it* is white, except for a deep black fpace between the 
top of the bafe of the beak and the eyes. 
The whole neck, both on the upper and under lides, is of a coal-black quite down 
to the breaft and to the back : the under part of the body is white, but not a pure 
and clean white, but with fomewhat of an admixture of greyilh. The feathers 
that cover the lower part of the thighs, a little above the knees, are black s' the back 
is variegated with black and grey, and the covering feathers of the tail are part white, 
and part black : the wings are long and well plumed 5 the long feathers are of a black- 
ifh-grey 3 the tail is black : the covering feathers of the wings are very elegantly varie¬ 
gated with black, grey, and white, and make an extreamly beautiful appearance. 
The legs are fhort 3 the feet are broad and webbed, as in the common goofe. 
It is a native of England, and is frequent, in particular, about the coafts of Lad- 
cafhire, in winter. Moft of the authors who have written on birds have defcribed it. 
Gefner calls it Brenta five Bernicla 5 others, Bernicla or Branta 3 and fome, Anfer Sco- 
ticus five Bernicla; Bellonius calls it the Cravant and Oye nonette, and fuppofes it to be 
the Chenalopex of the antients. Moft of the other writers have fuppofied this bird, 
and that diftin&ively called Brenta, to differ only in fex3 and, while that was the 
opinion, there was no impropriety in joining the names: but later observations have 
proved, that they are two abfolutely diftindt birds, and confequently the name Bernicla 
ought to be kept appropriated to this fpecies, to which it was originally given 3 and that 
of Brenta to the other, next to be defcribed. 
This is the bird which Gerard and fome other authors have declared to be produced 
from a peculiar fpecies of fhell-fifh, called the Bernacle-fhell, found on decayed wood 
that lies about the fea-fhores. The love of wonderful obfervations raifed this firft ac¬ 
count of the bird’s being produced from a fhell-fifh, that ufually adhered to old wood, 
into the ftory of that Shell growing upon a tree, in manner of it’s fruit. Thus were 
the animal and vegetable kingdoms confounded 3 and it was pretended, that inch of 
thefe fruits as fell on land came to nothing, but fuch as fell into the fea 3 for they af- 
fure us, the tree grew no where but on the fhores, difclofed living animals, which at 
firft were rude and imperfect, but by degrees grew to the perfect form and lize of this 
bird. The whole matter that gave origin to this ftory is, that the fhell-fifh, fuppofed 
to have this wonderful production, ufually adhere to old wood, and that they have a 
kind of fibrils hanging out of them, which in fome degree referable feathers of fome 
5 P bird : 
