breeding season, there is reason to believe they take a considerable
share in the process of incubation.
In summer the beak is black, more slender and longer than
that of the Grey Phalarope ; irides dark brown ; around the
base of the beak and the eyes, on the top of the head, back
of the neck, all the back and the wing-coverts, nearly uniform
dark lead-colour ; the scapulars and tertials margined with
reddish yellow; primaries almost black ; secondaries rather
lighter in colour and tipped with white; upper tail-coverts
dusky and white; tail-feathers brownish grey, the middle pair
the darkest in colour ; chin pure white :; sides and front of
the neck rich yellowish red ; feathers of the lower part of th e
neck in front- dark grey, ëdged with white p:breast, belly;
vent, and under tail-coverts, pure white ; in front of the wing
a patch of dark grey, which extends- backwards, mixed with
white over the sides and flanks. Legs,-toes, and their membranes
green, the claws black.
Adult birds in winter have little or no red on the neck or
back, and young birds of the year resemble old birds in
winter.
Females measure about seven, inches in length, and are
larger than males'; from the carpal joint to the end of the
longest quill-feather four inches and one quarter. The length
of the beak, from the feathers on the forehead, ten lines and
a half.
NAT A TORES. ANAT1DÆ.
T H E GREY-LEGGED GOOSE.
An n s gnser, Grey Lag Goose, P ç » . Brit. Zqo1.j?o1. ii. p. 228.
' ferus Grey Lag Goose, Mont. Ornith. Diet.
- • , , , , , , B ewick, Brit. Birds, vol. ii. p .2 9 9 ;
but not the figure.
Anser palustris, ,, Goose, -, Flem. Brit. An. p. 126,. .
,, ,, Lag Wild Goose, $ elby, Bnt. Ornith. voi. ii. p. 261.
ferus, Wild Goose, ' - 1 "" ' J enyns, Brit. Yèrt, p. 222.
Grey Lag Wild Goose, 7 Birds of Europe, pt. xviii.
Anas anser ferus, Oie cendrée ou premiere, Temm. Mkn, d’Orhith.yo|,,ii^p. 818.
Anser ferus, ’ ,, », » » >> » P*‘ P*
Anser. Generic Characters.-^ Beak not longer than the head, conical,
iiëvated at the base, WÜicli is covered with a cere, or skin ; under mandible
smaller than the upper. No strils lateral, placed towards the middle of the
beak, pierced anteriorly. Legs under the centre of the body ; the tarsi long,
the hind toe free, articulated upon the tarsus.
T h e fifth and last Order of Birds, the Natatores, or Swimmers,
remains now to be considered. A large portion of