51S A N 
is not common. It is more frequent on the continent, in¬ 
habiting Denmark and Ruftia. In tome parts of Siberia 
it is very common ; and it enters the lift of thofe found at 
Kamtlchatka. Inbreeding-time, it goes far inland to lay 
its eggs; which are eight or ten in number, and white. 
After the feafon is over, the males are faid to depart; 
the females flaying behind till the young are able to fly, 
when the two laft go likewile off, but to what part is not 
certain. It is found in great plenty at Ochotfka, efpecially 
about the equinox. Fifty or more of the natives go in 
boats and furround the whole flock, driving them in the 
flood up the river Ochotfka; and, as foon as it ebbs, the 
whole company fall on them at once with clubs, and often 
knock fo many of them on the head, that each man has 
twenty or thirty for his fhare. 
6 . The nigra, or fcoter, is totally black, and has a gib- 
bofity at the bafe of the bill ; the tail refembles a wedge; 
the female is brownifh. It is the Idler black diver of Ray, 
and meafures in length twenty-two inches. Thefe birds 
are found on the northern coafts of England and thofe of 
Scotland in the winter feafon; but no where fo common 
as on the French coafts, where they are -feen in prodigious 
numbers from November to March, efpecially if the wind 
be to the north or north-weft. Their chief food is a glofly 
bivalve fhell, near an inch long, called by the French 
va.imea.ux. Thefe they are perpetually diving after, fre¬ 
quently to the depth of fome fathoms; and an ufual me¬ 
thod of catching them is, by placing nets under the water 
in fuch places as the fhells are mod numerous; by which 
means thirty or forty dozen of them have been taken in 
Gne tide. The day leems to be fpent by thefe birds be¬ 
tween diving and flying to fmall diftances over the water, 
which it does fo low as frequently to dip the legs therein. 
It fwallows the food whole, and foon digefts the fhells, 
which are found quite crumbled to powder among the ex¬ 
crements. It has been kept tame for fome time, and will 
feed on foaked bread. The flelh taftes filliy to an extreme; 
on which account it is allowed by the Roman Catholics 
to be eaten on faft-days and in lent; and indeed mull be 
a fufticient mortification. Thele birds abound in all the 
northern parts of the continent, Lapland, Sweden, Nor¬ 
way, and Ruflia; and are found in great plenty on the 
great lakes and rivers of the north and eaft of Siberia, as 
well as on the fea-fhores. It likewife inhabits North Ame¬ 
rica, being met with at New York; and, in all probabi¬ 
lity, much more to the north on that continent and that 
of Alia, Olbeck having met with them in thirty and thirty- 
four degrees fouth latitude, between the illand of Java and 
St. Paul, in the month of June. 
7. The aider, ferns ct man fuel us ; or grey lag, and tame 
goofe. The grey lag , or wild goofe, is two feet nine inches 
in length, and five feet in extent. The bill is large and 
elevated ; of a flefti-colour, tinged with yellow' ; the head 
and neck cinereous ; breaft and belly whitilh, clouded with 
grey or aflt colour ; back, grey ; the legs of a flefti-colour. 
This fpecies refides in the fens the whole year; breeds 
there, and hatches about eight or nine young, which are 
often taken, eafily tamed, and efteemed moft excellent 
meat, fuperior to the domeftic goofe. Towards winter 
they collect in great flocks, but in all feafons live and feed 
in the fens. On the continent they are migrator)', chang¬ 
ing place in large flocks often 500 or more; in this cafe, 
the flock is triangular in fliape, with one point foremoft; 
and, as the goofe which is firft is tired fooneft, it has been 
feen to drop behind, and another to take his place. In 
very fmall flocks, however, they are fometimes feen to 
follow one another in a direft line. Geefe fleam to be 
general inhabitants of the globe. The manfuetus, is the 
grey lag in a ftate of domeftieation, and from which it 
varies in colour, though much lefs fo than either the mal¬ 
lard or cock, being ever more or lefs verging to grey ; 
though, in all cafes, the whitenefs of the vent, and upper 
, tail coverts, is manifeft. It is frequently found quite 
white, efpecially the males; and doubts have arifen, which 
«f the two colours ftiould have the preference in point of 
A S. 
eating. Tame geefe are kept in great multitudes in the 
fens of Lincolnfhire; a Angle perfon will have one thoufand 
old geefe, each of which will rear feven ; fo that, towards 
the end of the feafon, he will become poffefted of eight 
thoufand. During the breeding feafon, thefe birds are 
lodged in the fame houfes with the inhabitants, and even 
in their very bed-chambers : in every apartment are three 
rows of coarfe wicker pens, placed one above another ; 
each bird has its feparate lodge divided from the other, 
which it keeps polfeflion of during the time of fitting;- 
A perfon called a gozzard, i. e. goofe-kerd, attends the 
flock, and twice a day drives the whole to water; then 
brings them back to their habitations, helping thofe that 
live in the upper ftories to their nefts, without ever mif- 
placing a Angle bird. The geefe are plucked five times 
in the year: the firft plucking is at Lady-day, for feathers 
and quills; and the fame is renewed, for feathers only, 
four times more between that and Michaelmas. The old 
geefe fubmit quietly to the operation, but the young ones 
are very noify and unruly. If the feafon proves cold, 
numbers of them die by this barbarous cuftom. Vaft num¬ 
bers of geefe are driven annually to London, to fupply the 
markets; among them, all the fuperannuated geefe and 
ganders, which, by a long courfe of plucking, prove un¬ 
commonly tough and dry. The goofe in general breeds 
only once in a year; -but will frequently have two hatches- 
in a feafon, if well kept. The time of fitting is about 
thirty days. They will alfo produce eggs fufficient for 
three broods, if they are taken away in fucceflion. It is- 
faid to be very long-lived, as we have authority for their 
arriving at no lefs than 100 years. The common price of 
geefe, in many counties, is regulated by that of mutton, 
both being the fame by the pound, without the feathers. 
The ufual weight of a fine goofe is fifteen or fixteen 
pounds; but it is fcarcely credible how far this may be in- 
creafed, by cramming them with bean-meal, and other 
fattening diet. The vidtims deftined for this forfeit, are 
by fome nailed to the floor by the webs of the feet, which 
caules no pain, and is meant to prevent the leaft poflibi- 
lity of adtion : to which, we are told, the French add the 
refinement of putting out their eyes; but what end this- 
laft part of barbarity is meant to anfwer, is hard to con- 
jedhire. To what weight they arrive in France, is not 
faid ; but we have been well informed, that twenty-eight or 
even thirty pounds, is no uncommon thing in England. 
8. The bcan-gooje is two feet feven inches in length ; 
in extent four feet eleven. The bill, which is the chief 
diftindtion between this and the former, is fmall, much 
compreffed near the end, whitifti, and fometimes pale red 
in the middle, and black at the bafe and nail : the head 
and neck are cinereous brown, tinged with ferruginous; 
breaft and belly dirty white, clouded with cinereous; the 
back of a plain afh colour ; feet and legs of a faflfron co¬ 
lour ; claws, black. This fpecies arrives in Lincolnlhire 
in autumn, and is called the bean-goofe , from the likenefs 
of the nail of the bill to a horfe-bean. They always light 
on corn-fields, and feed much on the green wheat. They 
never breed in the fens, but all difappear in May. They 
retreat to the fequeftered wilds of the north of Europe ; 
in their migration they fly to a great height, cackling as 
they go. They preferve a great regularity in their mo¬ 
tions ; fometimes forming a ftraight line ; at others, af- 
fuming the fliape of a wedge, which facilitates their pro- 
grefs through the air. 
9. The erythropus , or laughing-goofe of Edwards, is a 
native of Europe and America. The length of this fpe¬ 
cies is about two feet four inches, the extent four feet fix ; 
the bill is elevated, of a pale yellow colour, with a white 
ring at the bafe ; the forehead is white; the breaft and 
belly are of a dirty white, marked with great fpots of 
black ; and the legs yellow. Thefe vifit the fens, and 
other parts of England, during winter, in fmall flocks ; 
they keep always in marfhy places, and never frequent the 
corn-lands. They difappear in the earlieft fpring, and 
none are feen after the middle of March. Linmeus makes 
this 
