Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 15, NIC-PAR

ORNITHOLOGY.
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•lseres. The female has the tail flesh-coloured, and the body
brown, with transverse white lines. From twenty four
to twenty-six inches long. Inhabits Falkland islands.
Bustard goose.—White*, two middle tail feathers,
jk primary quill feathers, and greater wing coverts, black 5
nape, and upper part of the back, with numerous black
lines 5 wings with a blunt spine at the flexure, and a
dusky green spot; greater wing coverts tipt with white j
secondary quill feathers half black, half white ; legs
black. This is the sea-goose of Clayton, and the white*
winged antarctic goose of Brown. It measures from
thirty-two to forty inches in length, stands pretty high
on its legs, walks and flies with great ease, and has not
that disagreeable cackling cry peculiar to the rest of
its kind. It generally lays six eggs *, and its flesh is
reckoned wholesome, nourishing, and palatable. Inha¬
bits the Falkland islands.
Loggerhead goose, or racehorse duck.—Cinereous;
dusky beneath ; vent white ; wings and tail short and
black; bill, irides, and tubercle on the wings and legs,
yellow. Length thirty-two inches ; weighs from twen¬
ty to thirty pounds. Observed on Falkland islands,
Staaten Land, &c.; mostly in pairs, though sometimes
in large flocks. From the shortness of their wings, they
were unable to fly, but they used them in the water as
oars, and swam so rapidly, that it was very difficult to
shoot them when on that element. In order to catch
them, the sailors would surround a flock with boats and
drive them on shore, where, unable to raise themselves
from the ground, they ran very fast; but soon growing
tired, and squating down to rest, were easily overtaken
and knocked on the head. Their flesh, however, was
325 not much relished, being rank and fishy.
orm. Sheldrake, or burrow duck.—BUI turning up at the
point; forehead compressed ; head greenish black ; body
white and variegated; bill and legs red; head and neck
violet; collar white; back white; breast brown ; belly
white, with a black line ; first quill feathers black, the
next violet, inner ones ferruginous, the last white; tail
white, tipt with black. The female has less vivid colours.
Thiselegant species of duck weighs about two pounds and
a half, and measures about two feet three inches. It in¬
habits Europe and Asia, and is not uncommon on many
parts of our coasts, remaining all the year. The female
makes choice of a rabbit burrow, wherein to deposit her
eggs, which are numerous, amounting sometimes to six¬
teen, and which she covers with down from her own
body. The nest is generally near the water, whither
the female leads her young soon after they are hatched.
This species is rarely met with remote from salt water ;
out if the eggs are taken and hatched under a hen, the
young become tame, and may be kept in ponds. They
very seldom breed when in a state of confinement.
Their principal food consists of sea-weeds, small shell-
25 fish, and marine insects. The flesh is rancid.
% Velvet duck.—Blackish; lower eyelid and spot on the
wings, white; bill yellow, black in the middle, gibbous
at the base ; legs red. Female without the gibbosity on
the bill, and body blackish. From 20 to 2 2 inches
long. Inhabits Europe and South America. It is
sometimes, though not often, seen on our coasts in win¬
ter. Frequents Hudson’s bay, where it breeds in sum¬
mer; and is not uncommon in Russia and Siberia. Lives
on fuci and shell-fish. The female makes its nest of
grass, and lays from four to 10 white eggs. The catch-
501
ing of this species is a favourite diversion of the Tun- Anseres.
gusi, who dwell on the river Ochota, and who chase *■■■ ■ y——
great numbers of these birds, during the moulting sea¬
son, into shallow water, and then knock them down
with clubs. They take many of them alive, and, thrust¬
ing a needle through their eyes, carry fifty or more on
a string. It is alleged that the birds, thus treated,
will live for two or even three days. ^
Scoter, or black diver.—Body quite black ; bill gib- TsUgra.
bous at the base ; head and neck sprinkled with purple ;
tail somewhat wedged. Female of a browner hue, and
without the protuberance at the base of the bill. Length
2 2 inches; feeds on grass and shell-fish, and tastes
rancid. These birds inhabit Europe and North Ame¬
rica, and mostly reside at sea, distant from the shore.
With us they are seen only in the winter season, when
they are plentiful on some parts of the coast of France.
They are great divers, and abound in most of the north¬
ern regions of the world. They want the horny nail
at the end of the bill, which is common to the rest of
the genus. As they taste strongly of fish, they are al¬
lowed by the Romish church to be eaten in Lent. ^2S
White fronted or laughing goose.—Brown; white, Albifrons.
spotted with black beneath ; front and rump white ; bill
and legs flame colour. Breast cinereous ; tail dusky,
edged with white. Two feet, four inches long. Inha¬
bits Europe, Asia, and America, and visits the fenny
parts of England, in small flocks in winter. During
severe weather it is killed on the coast as well as on
rivers, and not uncommonly brought to market and
sold for the common wild goose. It leaves us in the earli¬
est spring, none being seen after the middle of March.
B. Bill equal at the base.
Scaup duck.—Black ; shoulders waved with ash co- Mairla.
lour ; belly and spot on the wings white ; bill broad,
bluish ash; irides yellow; head and neck greenish black;
back and wing coverts waved with black, and cinereous;
legs and primary quill-feathers dusky; secondary white,
tipt with black ; tail coverts, and vent, black. Female
brown ; bill black, surrounded with a circle of white
feathers ; neck rusty ; belly, and bar on the wings,
white; legs black. From 18 to 20 inches long; feeds
on shell-fish, and inhabits Europe, northern Asia, and
America. It is found in Iceland, Lapland, Sweden,
Norway, Russia, and Siberia, and as high as Hudson’s
bay in America. In England, it appears in the winter
season, in small flocks, and is frequently observed in fresh
waters. In October it begins to emigrate southward in
flocks. It also frequently lives in holes under ground. ^
Gray lag goose, or wild goose.—Bill semicylindrical; Anser.
body cinereous above, paler beneath ; neck striated ;
bill flesh-coloured and tipt with white ; rump and vent
white ; legs flesh-coloured; claws black, wants the
wing spot. Weighs eight or nine pounds, and is about
33 inches long. Varies much in colour by domestica¬
tion, in which state it is our common tame goose. In¬
habits in flocks the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and
America ; resides the whole year in the Lincolnshire
fens, where it breeds, laying eight or nine eggs which
are hatched in 28 or 30 days. Frequents lakes and ri¬
vers, and lives to a great age. The domestic goose is
well known. It is bred in great multitudes in the fens
of Lincolnshire, both on account of its flesh and fea¬
thers. The geese are there attended by a person called
a