140 



Handbook of Nature-Study 



devoted to the young, the gander bravely defending his nest and family 

 from the attacks of any enemies. 



Although there are several species of wild geese on the Atlantic 

 Coast, the one called by this name is usually the Canada goose. This 



bird is a superb creature, 

 brown above and gray be- 



X-^^r- neath, with head, neck, tail, 



bill and feet of black. These 

 black trimmings are highly 

 ornamental and, as if to 

 emphasize them, there is 

 a white crescent-shaped 

 "bib" extending from just 

 back of the eyes under- 

 neath the head. This white 

 patch is very striking, and 

 gives one the impression of 

 a bandage for sore throat. 

 It is regarded as a call- 

 color, and is supposed to 

 help keep the flock to- 

 gether; the side tail-coverts 

 are also white and make 

 another guide to follow. 



Often some wounded or 

 wearied bird of the migrat- 

 ing flock spends the winter 

 in farmyards with domes- 

 tic geese. One morning a 

 neighbor of mine found 

 that during the night a wild 

 gander, injured in some 

 way had joined his flock. 

 The stranger was treated 

 with much courtesy by its 

 new r companions as well as 

 by the farmer's family and 

 soon seemed perfectly at 

 home. The next spring he 

 mated with one of the 

 domestic geese. In the late 

 summer, my neighbor, 

 Wild geese -flying in even ranks. mindful of wild geese hab- 



Photographed directly underneath by A. R. Dugmore. its, dipped the wingS of the 



Courtesy of Country Life in America. gander SO that he WOUld be 



tmable to join any passing flock of his wild relatives. As the migrating 

 season approached, the gander became very uneasy; not only 

 was he uneasy and unhappy always but he insisted that his 

 wife share his misery of unrest. He spent days in earnest remon- 

 strance with her and, lifting himself by his cropped wings to the top of 

 the barnyard fence, he insisted that she keep him company on this, for 

 web feet, uneasy resting-place. Finally, after many days of tribulation, 



