, TIIK CANADA GOOSE. 567 



the dog burked :it, and try to bite liis licels. Soinetiines she wouhl attempt to feed with 

 the dog ; but tliis the dog-, who treated his faithful companion with some inditierenee, 

 would not suffer. This bird would not go to roost with the others at night, unless 

 dri\'en bv main I'orcc ; and when, in the morning, she was turned into the field, she 

 woidd never stir from the yard-gate, but sit there the whole da}^ in sight of the 

 dog. At last orders were given that she should no longer be molested, but suffered to 

 accompany the dog as she liked. Being thus left to herself, she ran about the yard with 

 him all night, and whenever the dog went out of the 3'ard and went into the village, the 

 goose always accompanied him, contriving to keep up with him by the assistance of her 

 wings : and in this way of running and flying, followed him all over the parish. 



This extraordinar}' affection is supposed to have originated from the dog having saved 

 the goose from a fox, in the very moment of distress. While the dog was ill, the goose 

 never quitted him day or night, not even to feed ; and it was feared that she would have 

 been starved to death, had not orders been given for a pan of corn to be set every day 

 close to the kennel. At this time the goose generally sat in tlie kennel, and would not 

 suffer any one to approach it, except the person who brought the dog's or her own food. 

 On the death of the dog, the goose would still keep possession of the kennel ; and a new 

 house-dog, resembling in size and colour the one that was lost, being placed there, the 

 poor bird was unhai^pily deceived ; and going into the kennel as usual, she was seiiied 

 and killed by the new occupant. 



The Canada geese appear to be peculiarly susceptible birds, of which the following fact 

 furnishes a singular illustration : — A gander of this tribe, in a nobleman's park near 

 AVindsor, having no mate for two springs, regularly mounted guard oppo.^ite a drawbridge, 

 in front of a thicket, where, it was clear, he supposed there was a nest. He even 

 defended the approaches very courageously, continuing this imaginary protection till the 

 first brood of ducklings appeared from some other quarter, when he immediately took 

 them under his protection, and one year actualh^ chaperoned twenty-five. It should be 

 added, that there was no nest of any kind whatever within the precincts he so strenuously 

 defended. 



yh: I'latt, a respectable farmer on Long Island, being out shooting in one of the 

 Ijays which in that part of the country abound with water-fowl, wounded a wild goose. 

 IJeiug wing-tipped, and unable to fly, he caught it, and brought it home alive. It 

 proved to be a female ; and turning it into the yard with a flock of tame geese, it soon 

 became quite tame and familiar ; and in a little time its wounded wing entirely healed. 

 In the following spring, when the wild geese migrate to the northward, a flock passed 

 over Mr. Piatt's barn-yard ; and just at that moment their leader happening to sound his 

 bugle-note, our goose, in whom its new habits and enjoyments had not quite extinguished 

 the love of liberty, remembering the well-known sound, spread its wings, mounted into 

 the air, joined the travellers, and soon disappeared. In the succeeding autumn, the wild 

 geese, as was usual, returned from the northward in great numbers, to pass the winter in 

 our bays and rivers. Mr. I'latt hapjjened to be standing in his yard when a flock passed 

 directly over his barn. At that instant he observed three geese detach themselves from 

 the rest, and, after wheeling round several times, alight in the middle of the yard. 

 Imagine his surprise and pleasure when, by certain well-remembered signs, he recognised 

 ' ia one of the three his long-lo.st fugitive. It was she indeed I She had travelled many 

 hundreds of miles to the lakes ; had there hatched and reared her offspring ; and had 

 now returned with her little family to share with them the sweets of civilised life. . . . 

 The birds were all subsequently living in his possession, and had shown no disposition 

 whatever to leave him. 



"The arrival of this weU-known bu-d," says Dr. Richardson, " iu the fur coimtries is 

 anxiously looked for and hailed with great joy by the natives of the woody and swampy 



