numbers are met with together. On the continent they are migratory,
changing place in large flocks, often five hundred dr
more : in this cafe the flock is triangular in fhape, with one point
foremoft j and as the Gooje which is firfi: 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 diredt line. Geefe feem to be general inhabitants of
the globe; are met with in Iceland, and on the continent, from»
Lapland to the Cape of Good Hope *. Are frequent in Arabia •f,
Perjia, and China, as well as indigenous to Japan J ; and on the
American continent, from Hudfon's Bay to South Carolina §. Our
voyagers alfo met with them in the ftraits of Magalhaen ||, Port
Egmont in Falkland IJles **, and Terra del Fuego f j-. Alfo in
New Holland, though not at New Zealand, as we find Captain
Cook making the inhabitants aprefent of a pair in order to breed.
We believe that this is the fort called at Hudfotis Bay, Mifiuhay
Nejfcock, or Grey Goofe, weighing about nine pounds. They
breed in the plains along the coaft: moult in July, and are
knocked on the head by the inhabitants, as they cannot then fly.j
though fome are faved alive, and fed on corn. They depart fouth
in September JJ.
• Kolben. I Forfcbal, p. 3. N°6 ; called Uai araki. t Kampfer.
§ Kalm Trent. || Ila-Li'k/f i roy. ii, p. 31. ** hi- p. 65.
•ft1 Cook’s Voy. iv. p. 43*
It is probably thisibrt that Kalm mentions the taming of by the Americans,
taking th^chance of ihooting them in the wing. Thefe will often grow tame*
though old birds, and have been kept for a dozen years; but never familiarize
with the tame ones, nor lay eggs.— i. p. 209.
D U C K .
Anas Änfer domeßicus, Lin. Syß. i. p. 197. 9. (3.—-Faun. Suec. N° 114. /?.—
Scop, Ann. i. N° 69.— Kram. El. p. 338. 4. —Frifch. pi. f57.
L’Oye domeftique, Brif. Orn. vi. p. 262. 1.
Tame Goofe, Raii Syn+ p. 136. A. $.—WM. Orn. p. 358. 1. pi. 75.,
Lev. Muß.
n pH IS is the Grey-Lag Goofe in a ftate of domeftication, and
from which it varies in colour, though much lefs fo than
either the Mallard or Cock, being ever moré ór lefs verging to
grey; though in all cafes the whitenefs of the vent, and upper
tail coverts, is manifeft: frequently found' quite white, efpecially
the males-, and doubts have arifen, which of the two- colours
lhould have the preference in point of eating.
Tame Geefe are no where feen in greater quantities than irr the
fens of Lincolnjhire, many perfons keeping no lefs than a thoufand
breeders. The ufes of the quills and feathers are too well known
throughout Europe * to be particularly noticed : for the fake of
thefe the birds are ftripped while alive, once in the year for
the firft, and no lefs than five times for the laft: the firft plucking
is about Lady-Day, for both quills and feathers; the other
four between that and Michaelmas, for feathers only : in general
the birds are no confiderable fufferers, though fometimes,
if the cold weather fhould come on, numbers die in confequence.
The pofTefibrs of thefe, except in the apparently cruel ufage of
* In the countries bordering on the Levant, and throughout Afia, the ufe of
Goo/e-feathers is utterly unknown; we find matrajfes fluffed with vml, camels-
hair, or cotton, inflead. Pliny, indeed, mentions the ufe of bolßers of feathers
to lay the head upon, in his time; but their being put to this ufe now is not
certain..
>1 i f
4 6 1
21.
Var. A.
+- TAME
GOOSE.
D escription.
PtACB A NO'
Manners»
plucking;