The birds of Europe (1837) (14564192387)

Identifier: birdsEuropeVGoul (find matches)
Title: The birds of Europe
Year: 1837 (1830s)
Authors: Gould, John, 1804-1881
Subjects: Pictorial works Birds
Publisher: London, Printed by R. and J.E. Taylor, pub. by the author
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library



Text Appearing Before Image:
is pretty certain, from the circumstance of its flesh being free from any fishy tasteand in great esteem for the table. We are not aware whether the sexes exhibit any difference in their colouring, but judging from analogy weshould conceive that they do not vary much, if any. Forehead, top of the head, stripe down the back of the neck, chin, throat, and a band extending upwards tothe eye, black ; on each side of the head a patch of reddish brown surrounded by a stripe of white, which isextended down the sides of the neck, and separates the black stripe down the back of the neck from the reddishbrown of the lower part of the neck and breast, which latter colour is margined with black, to which succeedsa stripe of white ; upper surface, fore part of the belly, wings, and tail black; hinder part of the belly, vent,thighs, upper and under tail-coverts white ; greater wing-coverts margined with white; bill and legs blackishbrown. We have figured a male somewhat less than the natural size.
Text Appearing After Image:
m m BRENT GOOSE. Anser Brenta, Flem.LOie cravant. This well-known species is the least of the European Wild Geese, and is one of our winter visitants, at whichperiod it resorts in great numbers to the inlets of the sea and the bays around our coast. Being driven fromthe icy regions of the polar circle by the approach of inclement weather, it not only visits the shores of theBritish Islands, but appears to radiate in every direction, spreading itself over almost all the maritime por-tions of Europe, Asia, and America. Upon the Northumbrian! coast, says Mr. Selby, a very largebody of these birds annually resorts to the extensive muddy and sandy flats that lie between the mainland andHoly Island, and which are covered by every flow of the tide. In this locality tolerably sized flocks usuallymake their appearance in the early part of October, which are increased by the repeated arrival of others tillthe beginning of November, at which time the equatorial movement of the species in this la