ANAS. believed to be generated out of wood, or rather a species of shell that is often found flicking to the bottoms of ships, or fragments of them; and were called tree-geese. These were also thought by some writers to have been the chenalopes of Pliny; they should have said chenerotes, for those were the birds which that naturalist said were found in Britain: but as he has scarce left us any description of them, it is difficult to say which species he intended. Mr Pennant imagines it to be the following; which is far inferior in size to the wild-goose, and very delicate food, in both respects suiting his description of the chenerotes.
10. The race-horse or loggerhead goose, is in length 32 inches, and weighs from 20 to 30 pounds. The bill is three inches long, and of an orange colour: the irides are orange, surrounded with black, and then with orange: the head, neck, and upper parts of the body are of a deep ash-colour; the outer edge of the secondaries white, forming a band of the same on the wing: the under parts of the body dusky down the middle; over the thighs cinereous blue; vent white; quills and tail black: the wings are very short, not reaching to the rump: on the bend of the wing is a yellow knob, half an inch in length: the legs are brownish orange, the webs dusky, and the claws black. These inhabit Falkland Islands, Staten Land, &c. and were mostly seen in pairs, though sometimes they were observed in large flocks. From the shortness of the wings they were unable to fly; but they made considerable use of them when in the water, on which they seemed as it were to run, at least they swam, with the assistance of the wings used as oars, at an incredible rate, inasmuch that it was a most difficult thing to shoot them while on that element: to catch them, the sailors used to 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 squatting down to rest, were easily overtaken, and knocked on the head. Their flesh was sometimes eaten by the sailors, in defect of that of the bustard goose; but it was not much relished, being rank and fishy, and thought more fit for the hogs, which ate it greedily, and fattened well upon it, boiled.
11. The snow-goose is in length two feet eight inches, and weighs between five and six pounds. The bill is somewhat serrated at the edges; the upper mandible scarlet, the lower whitish: the general colour of the plumage is snow white, except the first ten quills, which are black, with white shafts: the legs are of a deep red. The young are of a blue colour, till they are a year old. These are very numerous at Hudson's Bay, and called by the natives Way-way, and Wapa wabe wbe. They visit Severn River in May, and stay a fortnight; but go farther north to breed: they return to Severn Fort the beginning of September, and stay to the middle of October, when they depart for the south, and are observed to be attended with their young, in flocks innumerable. At this time many thousands are killed by the inhabitants; who pluck them, and take out the entrails, and putting the bodies into holes dug in the ground, cover them with earth, which freezing above them, keeps them perfectly sweet throughout the severe season; during which there is no more to do than occasionally to open one of these storehouses, when they find them sweet and good. They seem to occupy also