WILD WINGS: A FAREWELL 293 



didn't always remember, and a goose was a great 

 prize when one fell to the gun of one of these very- 

 poor men; but when they sent me round a bird just 

 to see what a fine bird old So-and-so had got, and 

 "would I give him half a crown for it?" I could 

 only reply that it was indeed a fine bird, and I con- 

 gratulated my old friend on his luck, but I wasn't 

 buying a goose. I can eat sheep and pig and some 

 other beasts, always excepting cow; also fowl, phea- 

 sant, and various other birds, wild and tame; but 

 I draw the line at wild geese. I would as soon eat 

 a lark, or a quail, or a nice plump young individual 

 of my own species as this wise and noble bird. 



The cries of the geese going inland to their happy 

 feeding-grounds would come to me in my room before 

 I was up in the morning, and again the same exhil- 

 arating sound was heard in the evening just after 

 sunset, causing the women and children to run out 

 of their cottages to see and listen to the passing birds. 

 At that hour I was usually a mile or so out on the 

 marsh or by the sea to have a good view of the geese 

 as they came over. On some evenings they dis- 

 appointed me, but there were always other birds to 

 look at and enjoy, the chief among these being the 

 hooded crow. He was a few days later than usual 

 this year, but during the last ten or twelve days of 

 October came in steadily, arriving, as a rule, in the 

 morning, until he was as numerous as ever all along 

 the coast. The best time to see these birds is in the 

 evening, when they have been feeding all day on the 

 marshes, and are as full of small crabs and carrion 



