A small goose that breeds in the far north of Europe. Greenland, Svalbard, Novana Zemlya in the Barents Sea and introduced populations in Finland. It winters to the south in England and Northern Europe.
It was thought in the Middle Ages that it was hatched from barnicles, a belief that persisted in rural Ireland into the nineteenth century. Because of this belief, it was classified as fish in the Catholic church and as such could be eaten on Fridays.
The original letterpress description accompanies this lithograph.
 
Published in The Birds of Europe. 1832-1837.
 
Author. John Gould.
 
Artist. John and Elizabeth Gould.
 
Lithograph. Original hand colour.
 
Paper size. 545 mm x 365 mm.
 
Condition. EXCELLENT.