BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 79 



cession to a large pond a few miles from the moutli 

 of Green river in Kentucky, and whenever I visited the nest it 

 seemed to look upon me with utter contempt. It would stand 

 in a stately attitude until I reached within a few yards of the 

 nest, when suddenly lowering its head, and shaking it as if it 

 were dislocated from the neck, it would open its wings and 

 launch into the air flying directly at me. So daring was this 

 fine fellow, that in^wo instances he struck me a blow with one 

 of his wings on the right arm, which for an instant I thought 

 was broken. I observed that immediately after such an effort 

 to defend his nest and mate, he would run swiftly towards 

 them, pass his head and neck several times over and around 

 the female, and again assume his attitude of defiance." This 

 description is no more graphic than true, as I have had personal 

 opportunity to verify it. I regard this species as amongst the 

 most interesting and remarkable of the bird kingdom. Senator 

 R. B. Langdon resides across the street from my office, and 

 has an enclosure in which he keeps deer, antelopes and a flock 

 of wild geese, the habits of each and all of which I have had 

 ample opportunity to observe in years of confinement. The 

 deers (two are added by birth each year, the latter part of 

 June) and the geese manifest a great interest in the many 

 children who visit their park. If one of their number runs a 

 race along the iron fence which incloses them, both the deers 

 and geese will at once join in the race, the latter with 

 wings at half extent, and gabbling and cackling so much like 

 the rollicking children that it is difficult to decide "which is 

 which.'" If any of the ruder children turn and threaten to use 

 sticks or clubs, the deers will gallop away, but the geese will 

 instantly drop their heads, rustle their feathers, and rush up to 

 the fence so resolutely as to send their persecutors flying, and 

 does a bolder boy return, they will form a line of battle, and 

 commence the ominous shaking of their heads, until one would 

 suppose they would become un jointed. In such an attitude, 

 with the suggestion of the bare possibility that they might 

 possibly fly over the fence in their anger, even the boldest will 

 consult the better part of valor and run away. 



To say in a report like this that myriads of this species 

 have annually visited the State to either breed here or, after 

 two or three weeks, pass further north to do so, may seem an 

 exaggeration, but what more temperate language would more 

 nearly convey a just idea of their numbers? Yet it must be 

 conceded that in the southern half of the State, their numbers 



