#BIRDSINPHILATELY XLIV The second se-tenant from the set Tales from Panchatantra carries the story of The tortoise and geese. I am sharing the stamp only because of its beautiful production, and not for its ornithological merit. The denomination once again is Rs 4 each. The domestic goose in India is probably a descendent of Greylag Goose (Anser anser) of Family Anatidae. The Latin genus and species name Anser is a derivative of Sanskrit Hamsa. The domestication of Anser domesticus, as Charles Darwin remarks (The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication i. 287), is of very ancient date, with archaeological evidence for domesticated geese in Egypt more than 4,000 years ago. They are much larger, and they have been selected for that larger size, with domesticated breeds weighing up to 10 kilograms (22 lb), compared with 4.1 kilograms (9.0 lb) for the wild Greylag Goose. This affects their body structure; whereas wild geese have a horizontal posture and slim rear end, domesticated geese lay down large fat deposits toward the tail end, giving a fat rear and forcing the bird into a more upright posture. This also completely prevents flight, though geese will run and flap their wings when startled, and may get a foot or so in the air momentarily. Therefore, the geese depicted flying in the stamp couldn’t be domestic geese. The other white domesticated geese in the Far East (China, Korea, Japan etc) are descendants of Ansar cygnoides, but they are not found in India. The wild Ansar cygnoides breeds in Russia and migrates south in summers. They have also been strongly selected for fecundity, with females laying up to 50 eggs per year, compared to 5–12 eggs for a wild goose. Changes to the plumage are variable; many have been selected to lose dark brown tones of the wild bird. The result is an animal marked, or completely covered in white feathers. Because geese have a loud call and are sensitive to unusual movements, they can contribute towards the security of a property. I’m sure my friend Phyllis Herring will introduce the Panchatantra tale to the uninitiated. Meanwhile, enjoy the beautiful stamp.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 00:14:12 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015