base, and at the tip it is black; the legs are of a saffron colour, and the claws black. It frequently weighs about ten pounds.

The Wild Goose is supposed to breed in the northern parts of Europe; and, in the beginning of winter, to descend into more temperate regions. If they come to the ground by day, they range themselves in a line, like cranes ; and seem rather to have descended for rest, than for other refreshment. When they have sat in this manner for an hour or two, we have heard one of them, with a loud long note, sound a kind of charge, to which the rest punctually attended, and they pursued their journey with renewed alacrity. Their flight is very regularly arranged; they either go in a line abreast, or in two lines, joining in an angle in the middle.

The common TAME GOOSE is nothing more than the Wild Goose in a state of domestication. It is sometimes found white, though much more frequently verging to gray; and it is a dispute among men of taste, which should have the preference.

These birds, in rural economy, are an object of attention and profit, and are no where kept in such vast quantities

as in the fens of Lincolnshire in England; several persons there having as many as a thousand breeders. They are bred for the sake of their quills and feathers; for which they are stripped while alive, once in the year for their quills, and no less than five times for the feathers: the first plucking commences about Lady Day, for both; and the other four between Lady Day and Michaelmas. It is said that in general the birds do not suffer much from this operation; except cold weather sets in, which then kills great numbers of them. The old Geese submit quietly to be plucked, but the young ones are very noisy and unruly. The possessors, except in this cruel practice, treat their birds with kindness, lodging them very often even in the same room with themselves.

These Geese breed in general only once a year, but if well kept they sometimes hatch twice in a season. During their sitting, each bird has a space allotted to it, in rows of wicker pens placed one above another; and it is said that the gozzard, or gooseherd, who has the care of them, drives the whole flock to water twice a day, and bringing them back to their habitations, places every bird in its own nest. The numbers of Geese which are sent to London for sale, are enormous, two or three thousand being frequently seen in a drove, and some droves having even contained more than nine thousand.

The BEAN GOOSE is a bird of passage, and arrives in Lincolnshire about autumn, and departs in May. It weighs about six pounds. The bill is smaller than in the preceding species. The head and neck are brown, the back and wings ash colour, and the breast and belly dirty white. It feeds much on the young corn, beans, &c. whence its

name.

The BARNACLE differs in some respects from all these ; being less than any of them, with a black bill, much shorter than any of the preceding. It is scarcely necessary to combat the idle error of this bird's being bred from the shell sticking to ships' bottoms; it is well known to be hatched from an egg, in the ordinary manner, and to differ in very few particulars from all the rest of its kind. The upper parts of the plumage are black, the forehead, chin, and all the under parts white.

The BRENT Goose is still less than the former, and not bigger than a Muscovy duck, except that the body is longer. The head, neck, and upper part of the breast, are black; about the middle of the neck, on each side, are two small spots, or lines of white, which together appear like. a ring. Both this and the preceding frequent the coasts of England in winter; and in some seasons have been so numerous, on the coasts of Piccardy, as to become a pest to the inhabitants.

CANADA GOOSE.

THIS is the common Field Goose of the United States, universally known over the whole country; whose regular periodical migrations are the sure signals of returning spring, or approaching winter. I have never yet visited any quarter of the country, where the inhabitants are not familiarly acquainted with the passing and repassing of the Wild Geese. The general opinion here is, that they are on their way to the lakes to breed; but the inhabitants on the confines of the great lakes are equally ignorant with ourselves of the particular breeding places of those birds. There, their journey north is but commencing, and how far it extends it is impossible for us at present

to ascertain. They were seen by Hearne in large flocks within the arctic circle, and were then pursuing their way still farther north. They have been seen also on the dreary coast of Spitsbergen, feeding on the water's edge.

It is highly probable that they extend their migrations under the very pole itself, amid the silent desolation of unknown countries, shut out from the eye of man by everlasting barriers of ice. That such places abound with suitable food we cannot for a moment doubt.

The flight of the Wild Geese is heavy and laborious, generally in a straight line or in two lines approximating to a point. In both cases, the van is led by an old gander, who every now and then pipes his well known houk, as if to ask how they come on; and the houk of "all's well" is generally returned by some of the party. When bewilder

ed in foggy weather, they appear sometimes to be in great distress, flying about in an irregular manner, making a great clamour. On these occasions, should they alight on the earth, as they sometimes do, they meet with speedy death and destruction. The autumnal flight lasts from the middle of August to the middle of October; the vernal flight from the middle of April to the middle of May.

Wounded Geese have frequently been domesticated, and readily pair with tame geese. On the approach of spring, however, they discover symptoms of great uneasiness, frequently looking up in the air and attempting to go off. Some, whose wings have been closely cut, have travelled on foot in a northerly direction, and have been found at the distance of several miles from home. They hail every flock that passes overhead, and the salute is sure to be returned by the voyagers, who are only prevented from alighting among them, by the presence and habitations of man. The gunners sometimes take one or two of these domesticated Geese with them to those places over which the wild ones are accustomed to fly; and concealing themselves, wait for a flight, which is no sooner perceived by the decoy Geese, than they begin calling aloud, until the flock approaches so near, that the gunners are enabled to make great havoc among them with their musket shot.

The English at Hudson's Bay depend greatly on Geese, and in favourable seasons kill three or four thousand, and barrel them up for use. They send out their servants as well as Indians to kill them on their passage. They mimic the cackle of the Geese so well, that many of them are allured to the spot where they are concealed, and are thus easily shot. When in good order, the Wild Goose weighs from ten to fourteen pounds, and is estimated to yield half a pound of feathers. It is domesticated in numerous quar