16 
SKETCHES OF EUROPEAN ORNITHOLOGY. 
countries it is seldom seen.” Places its nest amongst herbage, laying four or five 
clear purple eggs, with large grey spots. Feeds on insects, seeds, &c. The 
female is smaller than the male, and young birds have each feather tipped with 
yellowish-grey. 
Brent Goose, Anser brenict ,—Oie cravant, Fr. —Anatra colombaccio, It .— 
Ringel Gans, G.—An adult male figures in the plate, somewhat under the living 
size. Although a sombre subject, Mr. Lear has executed the plate in the most 
praiseworthy manner, though only in his usual masterly style. With us this 
Goose—the smallest European species—is a winter visitant; and it appears to be 
met with in all the maritime portions of Europe, Asia, and America. During the 
whole month of October we have fresh additions of their numbers to our shores, 
and especially, according to Selby, to those of Northumberland. The same 
author states that it feeds entirely on marine vegetables, the fronds of different 
Algce , particularly of one which seems to be Ulva latissima , mixed with a con¬ 
siderable quantity of sharp sand. When feeding or flying they make a loud and 
incessant cackling, probably much after the fashion of the Canada Goose, Anser 
Canadensis. The Brent Goose is extremely shy, and it therefore requires 
considerable skill to come within gun-shot of the flock. It breeds in northern 
latitudes, making a nest of herbage, and laying ten or twelve white eggs. The 
female differs from the male in being a trifle smaller. 
Temminck’s Tringa, Tringa Temminckii ,—Becasseau Temmia, Fr. —Tem- 
minckischer Strandlaufer, G.—An adult and a young bird are presented, of their 
natural size. The former is a lovely figure, but the attitude of the latter is too 
stiff to resemble Nature. Here again we discover the error previous naturalists 
have committed in naming species from their relative size, &c.; for Temminck’s 
Tringa is mainly distinguished from Tringa minuta by its smaller dimensions 
and shorter tarsi! Occurs on the lakes, rivers, and shores of Europe, North 
Africa, and Asia. It is common in similar localities in Britain in spring and 
autumn, but is not known to breed with us, although Mr. Gould thinks that it 
probably hatches and rears its young in some secluded parts of the country. 
Subsists on insects, Worms, and molluscs. The female is rather larger than the 
male, but is otherwise similar. The summer plumage is much darker than that 
of winter, and in young birds each feather is marked with semilunar edgings of 
black and grey. 
Little Cormorant, Cormoranus pygmceus ,—Cormoran pygmee,FV.—A male, 
natural size, undergoing the change from winter to summer, of this singular-looking 
creature, is well figured. “ Although termed pigmceus, it is very far from being 
the least of its genus. Common in the east of Europe, especially along the borders 
of the lower Danube. It is abundant in Asiatic Russia, but has never occurred 
