Hi Bruce and others interested in this topic.

Regarding the Wikipedia article I can say little more than to note it is 
well referenced, and others of you out there no doubt know more about 
the references than do I.  The brief statement on domestication is only 
the smallest tip of the iceberg on that facet.  I note that it does seem 
to indicate that the knob (called in this article a "bill knob") is not 
present in the wild Swan Goose.  Makes me wonder what the evolutionary 
origin of the knob is ... is it from the bill, forehead, or scalp?  The 
knobs on our geese were (we don't have any with knobs at present) soft.

I don't trust any of the names given for photographs of these geese 
(Swan, African, Chinese) collected by Google or other search tools.  The 
only names I would trust would be from highly reputable sources whose 
specialty areas are goose nomenclature, genetics, or breeding.

Ian
========

Bruce MacPherson wrote:
> I am glad that Joanne brought the possibility of a Swan Goose to our  
> attention. I googled "Swan Goose and Wiki" and brought up an article on  
> Wikipedia about the origins of Swan Geese (with pictures). I would be  interested in 
> Ian's comments about the accuracy of this article, given his  experience in 
> raising geese.
>  
> Bruce MacPherson
> South Burlington
>  
> P.S. Louanne and I apologize for sending our private back and forth to the  
> list.
>