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THE DOMESTIC GOOSE.

WE apply the term "Domestic " to the Goose, using only "Tame" for the Duck, to signify a much closer intimacy with, and submission to the control of Man; and, as a further contrast, the domestication of the common Goose, like that of the Fowl, hides itself, as we pursue it, in the remotest depths, and obscurest mists of ancient history. We have already hinted that by the Hebrews, as by many modern naturalists, it would probably be classed generically with the Swan, and so be included in their list of unclean birds. Among the Greeks and Romans, it seems to have been the only really domesticated water-fowl; and appears to have held exactly the same place in their esteem, that it still retains, after the lapse of two or three thousand years, in our farm-yards, and on our commons. Indeed, a modern writer may escape great part of the trouble of composing the natural history of the Domestic Goose, if he will only collect the materials that are scattered amongst ancient authors. very early notice of them occurs in Homer. Penelope, relating her dream, says,

Χηνὲς μοι κατ ̓ οἶκον ἐείκοσι πυρὸν ἔδουσιν
Ἐξ ὕδατος, καί τέ σφιν ἰαίνομαι εἰσορόωσα.

Pope's version is both flat and inaccurate :

"A team of twenty geese (a snow-white train !)
Fed near the limpid lake with golden grain,
Amuse my pensive hours."

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The "snow-white train," (I would bet Mr. Pope a dish of tey-as he rhymes it-that Penelope's Geese were not snow-white, whatever the Ganders might be,) the limpid lake," the "pensive hours," are not Homeric, but Popeian. The literal translation of the Greek is, “İ

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have twenty geese at home, that eat wheat out of water, and I am delighted to look at them." We omit the rest of her vision, as little to our purpose; but her mode of fatting them, and her complacent chuckle at seeing them thrive, could not be surpassed by the most enthusiastic members of the Royal Agricultural Society. If she entertained her numerous suitors with fat roast Goose, it may partly explain why they stuck to her in so troublesome and pertinacious a manner.

The alarm given at the approach of the army of the Gauls by the Geese kept in the capitol of Rome, occurred so long back as A. U. c. 365, or 388 years before Christ. The passage is worth extracting.

"Dum hæc Veiis agebantur, interim arx Romæ Capitoliumque in ingenti periculo fuit: namque Galli, seu vestigio notato humano, quâ nuntius a Veiis pervenerat, seu suâ sponte adimadverso ad Carmentis saxorum ascensu æquo, nocte sublustri, cum primo inermem, qui tentaret viam, præmisissent, tradentes inde arma, ubi quid iniqui esset, alterne innisi, sublevantesque in vicem et trahentes alii alios, prout postularet locus; tanto silentio in summum evasere, ut non custodes solum fallerent, sed ne canes quidem, solicitum animal ad nocturnos strepitus, excitarent. Anseres non fefellere, quibus sacris Junoni in summâ inopiâ cibi tamen abstinebatur: quæ res saluti fuit. Namque, clangore eorum alarumque crepitu excitus M. Manlius, qui triennio ante consul fuerat, vir bello egregius, armis arreptis, simul ad arma ceteros ciens, vadit; et, dum ceteri trepidant, Gallum, qui jam in summo constituerat, umbone ictum deturbat: cujus casus prolapsi cum proximos sterneret, trepidantes alios, armisque omissis saxa, quibus adhærebant, manibus amplexos, trucidat; jamque et alii congregati telis missilibusque saxis perturbare hostes, ruinâque tota prolapsa acies in præceps deferri."-Livy, lib. v. cap. 47.

"Thus they were employed at Veii, whilst, in the mean time, the citadel and capitol at Rome were in the utmost danger. The Gauls either perceived the track of

a human foot, where the messenger from Veii had passed, or, from their own observation, had remarked the easy ascent at the rock of Carmentis: on a moonlight night, therefore, having first sent forward a person unarmed to make trial of the way, handing their arms to those before them; when any difficulty occurred, supporting and supported in turns, and drawing each other up according as the ground required, they climbed to the summit in such silence, that they not only escaped the notice of the guards, but did not even alarm the dogs, animals particularly watchful with regard to any noise at night. They were not unperceived, however, by some Geese, which being sacred to Juno, the people had spared, even in the present great scarcity of food; a circumstance to which they owed their preservation; for by the cackling of these creatures, and the clapping of their wings, Marcus Manlius was roused from sleep,- —a man of distinguished character in war, who had been consul the third year before; and snatching up his arms, and at the same time calling to the rest to do the same, he hastened to the spot, where, while some ran about in confusion, he, by a stroke with the boss of his shield, tumbled down a Gaul who had already got footing on the summit; and this man's weight as he fell, throwing down those who were next, he slew several others, who, in their consternation, threw away their arms and caught hold of the rocks, to which they clung. By this time many of the garrison had assembled at the place, who, by throwing javelins and stones, beat down the enemy, so that the whole band, unable to keep either their hold or footing, were hurled down the precipice in promiscuous ruin."-Baker's Translation.

Lucretius, referring to this event (lib. iv. 686) attributes the vigilance of the Geese to their fine sense of smell:

"Humanum longe præsentit odorem, Romulidarum arcis servator, candidus anser."

"The White Goose, the preserver of the citadel of the descendants of Romulus, perceives at a great distance the odour of the human race.'

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Virgil, alluding to the same occurrence (Æn. viii. 655), ascribes the preservation of the Capitol to an "Argenteus Anser" (a Silver Goose). Both these poets, therefore, inform us that the Domestic Goose of their days differed as much from the Grey-lag or the White-fronted, as it does at present, a circumstance which the reader is requested to bear in mind.

Pliny, about four hundred years later, remarks, (Lib. x. 26), "Est anseri vigil cura, Capitolio testata defenso, per id tempus canum silentio proditis rebus Potest

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et sapientiæ videri intellectus his esse. petuo adhæsisse Lacydi Philosopho dicitur, nusquam ab eo, non in publico, non in balneis, non noctu, non interdiu digressus. (xxvii.)—Nostri sapientiores, qui eos jecoris bonitate novere. Fartilibus in magnam amplitudinem crescit : exemtum quoque lacte mulso augetur. Nec sine causâ in quæstione est, quis primus tantum bonum invenerit, Scipione Metellus vir Consularis, aut M. Seius eâdem ætate eques Rom. sed (quod constat) Messalinus Cotta, Messalæ Oratoris filius, palmas pedum ex his torrere, atque patinis cum gallinaceorum cristis condire reperit. Tribuetur enim a me culinis cujusque palma cum fide. Mirum in hac alite, a Morinis usque Romam pedibus venire. Fessi proferuntur ad primos: ita ceteri stipatione naturali propellunt eas Velluntur quibusdam locis bis anno.”

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"The Goose is carefully watchful; witness the defence of the Capitol, when the silence of the dogs would have betrayed everything It is possible, also, that they may have some discernment of wisdom. Thus one is said to have stuck perpetually to the Philosopher Lacydis, never leaving him, either in public, in the baths, by night, or by day."

"Our folks are wiser, who are aware of the goodness of their liver. In those that are crammed it increases to a great size; when taken out it is laid to swell in milk mixed with honey. And it is not without cause that it is a matter of debate who was the first to discover such a

dainty, whether Scipio Metellus, of consular dignity, or M. Seius, a Roman knight at the same epoch. But (what is certain) Messalinus Cotta, the son of Messala, the orator, discovered the method of cooking the web of their feet, and fricasseeing them in small dishes along with cock's combs. I am ready heartily to attribute the merit to the kitchen of either. It is wonderful that this bird should travel on foot from the Morini (in the north of France) to Rome. Those which are tired are carried to the front; so that the rest push them on by a natural crowding. In some places they are plucked twice a year." A great deal of this is the same as has happened with us, with a slight change of names and places.

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It is very natural to inquire whence so remarkable and valuable a bird was originally obtained; but the conclusion generally arrived at appears to me to be inconsistent, not merely with truth, but even with probability—namely, that it results from the crossing and intermixture of several wild species. None of these ancient accounts indicate any such fact; but, on the contrary, declare that the Domestic Goose was in the earliest ages (dating with respect to Man) exactly what it is now. The very same arguments that are used to show that the Domesticated Goose is a combination of the Grey-legged, Whitefronted, and Bean Geese, would equally prove that the Anglo-Saxon race of Men is derived from a mixture of the Red Indian, the Yellow Chinese, and the tawny Moor. I cannot, therefore, help suspecting very strongly that we shall err in referring the parentage of the Common Goose to any existing species. Mr. Yarrell hesitatingly says, that "the Grey-legged Goose is considered to be the origin from which our valuable domesticated race is derived;" and instances the union of a pinioned wild Grey-legged Gander with a Domestic Goose that had been assigned as his mate. But those who have kept many different species of Geese together, well know what unaccountable attachments they are frequently

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